Bevacizumab, Fluorouracil, and Hydroxyurea Plus Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed advanced head and neck cancer * Requiring regional palliative radiotherapy * Not amenable to standard therapy * Previously untreated disease allowed only if prognosis is poor (i.e., estimated 2-year survival of less than 10% if treated with standard therapy alone) * No obvious tumor involvement of major vessels on CT scan * No known brain metastases * Performance status - ECOG 0-2 * Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100% * More than 12 weeks * WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3 * Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * No history of bleeding diathesis * Bilirubin normal * AST/ALT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal * Creatinine normal * Urine protein no greater than trace * Urine protein less than 0.5 g/24 hours * No significant renal impairment * No symptomatic congestive heart failure * No cardiac arrhythmia * No deep venous thrombosis * No uncontrolled hypertension * No clinically significant peripheral artery disease * No arterial thromboembolic event within the past 6 months, including any of the following: * Transient ischemic attack * Cerebrovascular accident * Unstable angina * Myocardial infarction * No hemoptysis of at least 1 tablespoon * No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to bevacizumab or other agents used in this study * No non-healing wounds within the past 4 weeks * No significant ongoing or active infection * No other uncontrolled illness * No other severe complicating medical illness that would preclude study participation * No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No prior fluorouracil and hydroxyurea with radiotherapy * At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered * See Disease Characteristics * See Chemotherapy * At least 4 months since prior radiotherapy and recovered * At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery * No prior or concurrent chronic use of aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents * No other concurrent investigational agents * No concurrent anticoagulation therapy * No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients * No other concurrent anticancer agents