Comparison of Three Chemotherapy Regimens in Treating Patients With Stage IVB, Recurrent, or Persistent Cervical Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed stage IVB, recurrent, or persistent carcinoma of the cervix that is not amenable to curative treatment with surgery and/or radiotherapy

  • Eligible subtypes:

    • Squamous cell carcinoma
    • Adenosquamous carcinoma
    • Adenocarcinoma

• Measurable disease by physical examination, radiography, CT scan, or MRI

  • Measurable disease by CT scan/MRI without biopsy confirmation allowed if lesions are at least 3 cm and well defined
• No craniospinal metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• GOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times normal
• SGOT no greater than 3 times normal
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 3 times normal

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• No bilateral hydronephrosis that cannot be alleviated by ureteral stents or percutaneous drainage

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No clinically significant infection
• No other prior invasive malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer
• Body surface area no greater than 2.0 m^2

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• At least 6 weeks since prior chemoradiotherapy and recovered
• No prior chemotherapy except when used concurrently with radiotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• See Chemotherapy
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy only and recovered

Surgery:

• Recovered from prior surgery

Other:

• No prior anticancer treatment that would preclude study therapy