Irinotecan and Cisplatin in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck that is considered incurable with surgery or radiotherapy * Meets one of the following criteria: * Previously untreated disease * Newly diagnosed disease with distant metastases * Recurrent or persistent disease * Local-regional recurrence/persistence or distant metastases after initial treatment with surgery or radiotherapy * No locally advanced unresectable disease that was not previously treated with radiotherapy * Bidimensionally measurable disease * If the only measurable disease is within the radiotherapy port, there must be biopsy-proven recurrence ≥ 8 weeks after the completion of radiotherapy PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-2 * Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks * Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min * SGOT ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal * Serum bilirubin \< 1.5 mg/dL * Granulocytes ≥ 1,500/mm \^3 * Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3 * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No significant detectable infection * No co-morbid disease unless under adequate control * No other cancer within the past 3 years except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or early-stage prostate cancer Exclusion Criteria: -Pregnant or lactating women Not specified PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * See Disease Characteristics * Recovered from any prior major surgery * No prior chemotherapy for recurrent or metastatic disease * Patients who completed neoadjuvant, concurrent, or adjuvant chemotherapy ≥ 3 months prior to recurrence will be considered chemotherapy-naive * Patients who completed neoadjuvant, concurrent, or adjuvant chemotherapy \< 3 months prior to recurrence will be considered chemotherapy failures * No prior therapy with topotecan or irinotecan hydrochloride * At least 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy (e.g., interleukin-2, interferon, megestrol acetate)