Nab-Paclitaxel, Cisplatin, and Cetuximab With Concurrent Radiation Therapy for Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, hypopharynx, or larynx

  * Diagnosis based on the primary lesion and/or lymph nodes
  * Stage III or IV disease (T2, N2-3, M0 or T3-4, any N, M0)
* No primary tumor of the oral cavity, nasopharynx, sinuses, or salivary glands
* No distant metastasis by chest x-ray, CT scan, or PET/CT scan within the past 6 weeks

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Zubrod performance status 0-1
* ANC \> 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin \> 9.0 g/dL (transfusion or other intervention to achieve hemoglobin \> 8.0 g/dL allowed)
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
* AST, ALT, and AP ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
* Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
* Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min
* None of the following electrolyte abnormalities grade 3-4 by CTCAE v 3.0:

  * Calcium \< 7 mg/dL or \> 12.5 mg/dL
  * Glucose \< 40 mg/dL or \> 250 mg/dL
  * Magnesium \< 0.9 mg/dL or \> 3 mg/dL
  * Potassium \< 3 mmol/L or \> 6 mmol/L
  * Sodium \< 130 mmol/L or \> 155 mmol/L
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other prior invasive malignancy, except for nonmelanomatous skin cancer, unless disease-free for ≥ 3 years
* No prior allergic reaction to study drugs
* No active cardiac disease, defined as any of the following:

  * Unstable angina
  * Uncontrolled hypertension
  * Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months (unless successfully treated with coronary artery bypass graft or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty)
  * Uncontrolled arrhythmia
  * Congestive heart failure
  * Three or more heart-related hospitalizations within the past year
* No severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease requiring ≥ 3 hospitalizations within the past year
* No AIDS
* No pre-existing peripheral sensory neuropathy ≥ grade 2
* No concurrent medical illnesses that would impair patient tolerance to therapy or limit survival

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior systemic chemotherapy for this cancer

  * Prior systemic chemotherapy for a different cancer allowed
* No prior radiotherapy to the region of this cancer that would result in overlap of radiotherapy fields
* No prior initial surgical treatment (excluding diagnostic biopsy of the primary site or nodal sampling of neck disease)
* At least 48 hours since prior and no concurrent granulocytic growth factors (e.g., filgrastim \[G-CSF\]) during radiotherapy
* No concurrent erythropoietic growth factors (e.g., darbepoetin, erythropoietin)