Radiation Therapy Compared With Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Cancer of the Uterus

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed primary homologous or heterologous carcinosarcoma of the uterus (corpus and cervix)
• •Surgical stage I-IV disease, including positive adnexa, tumor invading the serosa, positive pelvic and/or para-aortic nodes, involvement of the mucosa of the bowel, bladder, or rectum, intra-abdominal metastases, positive pelvic washings, or vaginal involvement within planned radiation port
• •Prior total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and maximum tumor resection of all gross intra-abdominal/pelvic disease, including grossly involved pelvic and para-aortic nodes within 8 weeks before study
• •* No greater than 1 cm residual disease
• •Cervical sarcomas also allowed
• •No metastasis beyond the abdominal cavity at diagnosis, including the following:
• •* Parenchymal liver metastasis
• •* Lung metastasis
• •* Positive inguinal lymph nodes
• •* Positive scalene nodes
• •* Radiographic or pathologic evidence of bone or brain metastasis
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •21 and over
• •Performance status:
• •GOG 0-2
• •Hematopoietic:
• •WBC at least 3,000/mm3
• •Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm3
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3
• •Hepatic:
• •Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times normal
• •SGOT no greater than 3 times normal
• •Albumin at least 3 g/dL
• •No acute hepatitis
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL OR
• •Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min
• •Other:
• •No septicemia
• •No severe infection
• •No severe gastrointestinal bleeding
• •No prior invasive or concurrent malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •Not specified
• •Chemotherapy:
• •No prior chemotherapy
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •Prior hormonal therapy allowed
• •Radiotherapy:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •No prior radiotherapy
• •Surgery:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •Other:
• •No prior therapy that would preclude study therapy