Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage II or Stage III Oropharyngeal Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically proven stage II or III (T1-T2, N0-N1) squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (tonsil, base of tongue, or palate)
• * Lymph nodes in both sides of neck at risk of metastatic disease and require radiotherapy
• * Patients upstaged by imaging to N2 are eligible
• Measurable or evaluable disease
• * Greater than 1 cm in one dimension or with necrotic regions if by CT or MRI scan
• Surgery of the primary tumor or lymph nodes limited to incisional or excisional biopsies
• No distant metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• Over 18
• Performance status:
• Zubrod 0-1
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• Not specified
• Hepatic:
• Not specified
• Renal:
• Not specified
• Other:
• No active untreated infection
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or a carcinoma not of head or neck origin
• No concurrent major medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude study
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy:
• More than 3 months since prior chemotherapy
• No concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• No prior head or neck radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Other:
• No other concurrent treatment for head and neck cancer
• No prophylactic amifostine or pilocarpine