OUTLINE: Patients receive panitumumab IV over 1 hour, docetaxel IV over 1 hour, and cisplatin IV over 1-2 hours on day 1 in weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. Patients also undergo radiotherapy once daily 5 days a week beginning in week 5 and continuing for 5.5 weeks. Treatment continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Beginning 6-9 weeks after completion of chemoradiotherapy, patients with no evidence of metastatic disease undergo esophagectomy.