Patients receive cetuximab IV over 1-2 hours on days 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 36, and 43 followed by irinotecan hydrochloride IV over 30 minutes on days 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29. Patients also undergo conformal radiotherapy or intensity-modulated radiotherapy on days 1-5 for 5 weeks. Patients undergo radical surgery 3-4 weeks after completion of neoadjuvant therapy.