S0227 Cisplatin With Either Paclitaxel or Gemcitabine in Recurrent, Persistent, or Metastatic Cervical Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of primary carcinoma of the cervix, meeting 1 of the following staging criteria:

• Metastatic (stage IVB)

• Recurrent after prior complete response to primary treatment with surgery or radiotherapy

• Persistent after surgery or radiotherapy

• Measurable disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• Not specified

Performance status

• Zubrod 0-1

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Not specified

Hepatic

• Not specified

Renal

• Creatinine less than upper limit of normal OR

• Creatinine clearance greater than 40 mL/min

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing

• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

• No grade 2 or greater sensory or motor neuropathy

• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or adequately treated stage I or II cancer currently in complete remission

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• More than 6 months since prior single-agent chemotherapy as a radiosensitizer

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics

• At least 28 days since prior radiotherapy

• No prior radiotherapy to measurable target lesions

• No concurrent palliative radiotherapy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics

• Recovered from prior surgery

Other

• No prior systemic therapy

• No other concurrent antitumor therapy