Patients receive cetuximab IV on days 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35; fluorouracil IV on days 7-10 and 35-38; and cisplatin IV over 2 hours on days 7 and 35. Beginning on day 7, patients also undergo radiotherapy 5 days a week for 5 weeks (weeks 2-6). Two weeks after finishing this treatment, patients undergo additional radiotherapy* 5 days a week for 2 weeks (weeks 9 and 10).