DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed cancer of the nasopharynx based on biopsy of a primary lesion and/or lymph nodes

  • Histologic WHO types I-IIb/III

• Stage IIB-IVB disease

  • No T1-2, N1 disease in which node positivity is based on the presence of retropharyngeal lymph nodes
• No distant metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Zubrod performance status 0-1
• WBC ≥ 4,000/mm³
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
• INR ≤ 1.5
• aPTT ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• ALT and AST ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 55 mL/min

• Urine protein:creatinine (UPC) ratio < 1.0

  • If UPC > 0.5, 24-hour urine protein must be < 1,000 mg
• Hearing loss primarily sensorineural in nature and requiring a hearing aid or intervention that interferes in a clinically significant way with activities of daily living allowed
• Conductive hearing loss from tumor-related otitis media is allowed

• No severe, active comorbidity, including any of the following:

  • Ongoing bleeding diathesis, hemorrhagic disorder, or coagulopathy within the past 6 months
  • Abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within the past 6 months
  • Esophageal varices, nonhealing wound, nonhealing ulcer, or bone fracture within the past 6 months
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation or other respiratory illness requiring hospitalization or precluding study therapy within the past 30 days
  • Unstable angina and/or congestive heart failure or peripheral vascular disease requiring hospitalization within the past 12 months
  • Major medical or psychiatric illness that, in the opinion of the study investigator, would preclude study compliance
  • Active, untreated infection and/or acute bacterial or fungal infection requiring intravenous antibiotics
  • Hepatic insufficiency resulting in clinical jaundice and/or coagulation defects
  • History of significant weight loss (> 15% from baseline)
  • History of arterial thromboembolic events
  • Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
  • Transmural myocardial infarction
  • Cerebrovascular accident
  • Transient ischemic attack
  • Any other cardiac condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude study compliance
• No gross hemoptysis or hematemesis, defined as bright red blood of ≥ 1 teaspoon per coughing episode, within the last 4 weeks (incidental blood mixed with phlegm allowed)
• No other invasive malignancy within the past 3 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the breast, oral cavity, or cervix
• Nutritional and physical condition considered suitable for study treatment
• No significant traumatic injury within the past 4 weeks
• No history of allergic reaction to the study drugs
• No baseline blood pressure > 150/100 mm Hg
• No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative serum pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 6 months after completion of study treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• At least 10 days since prior and no concurrent dipyridamole, ticlopidine, clopidogrel bisulfate, cilostazol, warfarin, heparin, daily treatment with acetylsalicylic acid (> 325 mg/day), or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications known to inhibit platelet function

• No prior head and neck surgery of the primary tumor or lymph nodes except for incisional or excisional biopsies

  • More than 15 days since prior biopsies
• More than 1 week since prior fine-needle aspirations or placement of percutaneous gastrostomy tube
• More than 4 weeks since prior major surgical procedures
• No prior radiotherapy to the region of the study cancer that would result in overlap of radiation therapy fields
• No prior bevacizumab or other vascular endothelial growth factor-targeting agents

• No prior systemic chemotherapy for the study cancer

  • Prior chemotherapy for a different cancer allowed
• No concurrent hematologic growth factors (e.g. filgrastim [G-CSF], darbepoetin alfa, epoetin alfa) during study chemoradiotherapy
• No concurrent prophylactic growth factors for neutropenia during study adjuvant therapy
• No concurrent prophylactic amifostine or pilocarpine
• No other concurrent experimental therapeutic cancer treatments