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

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