OUTLINE: This is a dose escalation of paclitaxel, multicenter study. Patients are stratified by performance status, stage, institution, tumor volumetrics, resectability, and p53 expression. Patients receive amifostine IV over 10 minutes on Monday of weeks 1, 5, and 9, and over 5-7 minutes Tuesday through Friday of weeks 1, 5, and 9 and Monday through Friday of weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7. Within 10-15 minutes of amifostine administration, patients receive paclitaxel IV over 3 hours, cisplatin IV over 2 hours on days 1, 29, and 56, and fluorouracil IV over 72 hours on days 1-4, 29-33, and 56-60. Starting on day 2, patients receive hyperfractionated external beam radiotherapy twice daily over 6.5 weeks, following amifostine IV over 5-7 minutes Monday through Friday. Cohorts of 6-20 patients each receive escalating doses of paclitaxel. Quality of life is assessed. Patients are followed monthly for 1 year, every 2 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 3 years, and then annually thereafter until death.