Chemotherapy AND Bcl-xL Inhibitor (AT-101) For Organ Preservation In Adults With Advanced Laryngeal Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients must have pathologically confirmed, previously untreated, resectable, squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx or hypopharynx.
* Disease must be Stage III or IV
* Tumor must be potentially surgically resectable and curable with conventional surgery and radiation therapy
* Patients must undergo pre-treatment endoscopic tumor staging and CT scanning
* ECOG Performance status 0-1
* Adequate WBC (white blood cell), granulocyte and platelet counts
* Creatinine clearance of ≥ 60cc/min for cisplatin candidates and ≥ 30 cc/min for carboplatin candidates
* Adequate bilirubin, AST (aspartate aminotransferase), and ALT (alanine transaminase) function

Exclusion Criteria:

* Prior head and neck malignancy or history of other prior non-head and neck malignancy within the past 3 years
* Prior head and neck radiation or prior chemotherapy.
* Documented evidence of distant metastases
* Active infection
* Pregnancy or lactation
* Any medical or psychiatric illness which in the opinion of the principal investigator would compromise the patient's ability to tolerate this treatment
* Patients residing in prison
* Patients with psychiatric/ social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
* Patients with Grade \> 2 peripheral neuropathy
* History of severe hypersensitivity reaction to docetaxel
* Class 3 or 4 cardiac disease
* Unstable angina or history of myocardial ischemia within prior 6 months
* Malabsorption syndrome, disease significantly affecting gastrointestinal function, or resection of the stomach or small bowel, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, partial or complete small bowel obstruction
* Prior use of gossypol or AT-101, or known hypersensitivity to gossypol or AT-101
* Patients taking any other concurrent approved or investigational anti-cancer therapy