Radiation Therapy With or Without Epoetin Alfa in Treating Anemic Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, including carcinoma arising from the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx
• * Stage I-IV disease
• * No distant metastases
• * No carcinoma of the nasopharynx, nasal cavity/paranasal sinuses, or salivary glands
• * No carcinoma in situ without an identifiable invasive component
• Plan for radiotherapy in continuous course
• Prior surgical exploration with gross residual disease remaining allowed
• Prior neck dissection with or without biopsy of primary tumor, but no radical surgery for primary tumor, allowed
• Anemia, defined as hemoglobin no greater than 13.5 g/dL for males and no greater than 12.5 g/dL for females (transfusion prior to study allowed)
• * No severe anemia (i.e., hemoglobin less than 9.0 g/dL)
• * No anemia confirmed to be due to causes other than chronic disease (e.g., iron deficiency anemia)
• Not entered on other RTOG head and neck protocols
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• Zubrod 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Stage III/IV patients receiving concurrent cisplatin:
• * Absolute neutrophil count at least 2,000/mm\^3
• * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Not specified
• Renal:
• Stage III/IV patients receiving concurrent cisplatin:
• * Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• * Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min
• Cardiovascular:
• No malignant or poorly controlled hypertension (e.g., symptomatic hypertension or diastolic blood pressure of 100 mm Hg or greater despite antihypertensive medication)
• No unstable angina or other poorly controlled cardiac disease
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• If stage III or IV disease is present, willing to come for twice daily radiotherapy for the last 2.5 weeks of therapy
• No active infection requiring IV antibiotics
• No unexplained fever
• No AIDS or other history of congenital or acquired immunodeficiency
• No other malignancies within the past 3 years except carcinoma in situ or nonmelanomatous skin cancer
• No known hypersensitivity to mammalian cell-derived products or to human albumin
• No acute/subacute illness that would make the need for transfusion likely
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 4 weeks since other prior cytokine therapy (e.g., filgrastim \[G-CSF\], interleukins, or interferons)
• No prior epoetin alfa
• No other concurrent cytokine therapy
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior chemotherapy
• Concurrent cisplatin, paclitaxel/cisplatin, or paclitaxel/carboplatin for patients with stage III/IV disease is allowed
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior radiotherapy to the head and neck
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Other:
• No concurrent amifostine
• No concurrent transfusion