 This phase III trial is studying how well radiation therapy and chemotherapy work in treating patients with newly diagnosed N2-3 nasopharyngeal cancer. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin and fluorouracil or cisplatin and gemcitabine, work in different ways concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by different adjuvant chemotherapy to stop the growth of tumor cells. 