OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the feasibility of doxorubicin and cisplatin followed by whole abdominal radiotherapy in patients with stage III or IV endometrial cancer.
• Determine the acute and chronic toxic effects, in particular, severe and life-threatening gastrointestinal, hepatic, and hematologic toxic effects, of this regimen in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients receive doxorubicin IV and cisplatin IV on day 1. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for 3 courses. Patients then undergo whole abdominal radiotherapy 5 days a week for 4-6 weeks.

Patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 3 years, and then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 21-53 patients will be accrued for this study within 3.5 years.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed endometrial cancer including 1 of the following subtypes:

  • Clear cell carcinoma
  • Serous papillary carcinoma
  • Endometrioid adenocarcinoma

• Stage III or IV disease

  • Positive adnexa
  • Metastases to serosa, bowel mucosa, abdomen
  • Positive pelvic or paraaortic nodes
  • Positive pelvic washings or vaginal involvement within the radiation port

• Tumor must be surgically reduced to 2 cm or less within 8 weeks of study entry

  • Must have had a hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo oophorectomy
• No recurrent disease

• No distant metastases outside of abdominopelvic area, including:

  • Parenchymal liver metastases
  • Lung metastases
  • Positive inguinal lymph nodes
  • Positive supraclavicular nodes
  • Pleural effusion with malignant cytology

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 upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT and alkaline phosphatase no greater than 3 times ULN

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than ULN

Cardiovascular:

• Cardiac ejection fraction greater than 50%

Other:

• No other prior 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:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior pelvic or abdominal radiotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy for other prior malignancy

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics