Capecitabine and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer or Other Pelvic Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed cervical cancer or other pelvic malignancy, including vaginal, endometrial, or ovarian cancer
• * Primary or recurrent disease
• * Locally advanced disease, defined as the following:
• * Stage IB2-IVA (for cervical or vaginal cancer)
• * Any non-extra pelvic metastatic stage (for endometrial or ovarian cancer)
• Not amenable to curative surgical resection alone
• Bidimensionally measurable or clinically evaluable disease
• Refused or ineligible for weekly IV cisplatin chemotherapy due to renal insufficiency, prior platinum adverse sensitivity, pre-existing neuropathy, or concurrent co-morbid illness
• No histologically confirmed or clinically suspicious (≥ 1 cm) para-aortic lymphadenopathy
• No brain metastases or primary brain tumors
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over (80 and under for second and third dose-escalation levels)
• Performance status
• GOG 0-2
• Life expectancy
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 10.0 g/dL
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• AST and ALT \< 2 times upper limit of normal
• Renal
• See Disease Characteristics
• Creatinine normal OR
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min\*
• No proteinuria or clinically significant impaired renal function NOTE: \*Creatine clearance testing required in patients \> 60 years of age
• Cardiovascular
• No symptomatic New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• No uncontrolled hypertension
• Gastrointestinal
• Able to swallow oral medication
• No bowel obstruction
• No malabsorption illness
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No known hypersensitivity to capecitabine or fluorouracil
• No ongoing or active infection
• No other uncontrolled illness
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No other active invasive malignancy
• * Prior malignancy in remission for ≥ 6 months that is not currently being treated allowed
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy
• Recovered from prior chemotherapy
• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin or nitrosoureas)
• Prior chemotherapy for a non-gynecologic malignancy or in the adjuvant setting allowed
• No prior capecitabine
• Endocrine therapy
• Prior adjuvant hormonal therapy allowed
• Radiotherapy
• Recovered from prior radiotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Prior radiotherapy for a non-gynecologic malignancy allowed
• No prior low abdominal or pelvic radiotherapy
• Surgery
• Not specified
• Other
• At least 3 weeks since prior investigational anticancer agents and recovered
• No prior anticancer treatment that contraindicates study therapy