OUTLINE: Patients receive paclitaxel IV over 1 hour followed by carboplatin IV over 30 minutes on days 1 and 22, and fluorouracil IV continuously on days 1-42. Patients undergo radiotherapy concurrently with chemotherapy daily 5 days a week for 5 weeks. Patients then undergo surgical resection within 3-5 weeks following completion of therapy. Patients are followed every 3 months for 6 months, every 6 months for 1 year, and then annually thereafter.