DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed carcinoma of the cervix, including any of the following subtypes:

  • Squamous cell carcinoma
  • Adenosquamous carcinoma
  • Adenocarcinoma

• Meets 1 of the following criteria:

  • Unresectable, locally advanced disease
  • Metastatic disease
  • Recurrent or persistent disease unsuitable for curative treatment by surgery and/or radiotherapy

• Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan

  • Measurable disease must be present outside previously irradiated area

    • Patients whose sole site of disease is in a previously irradiated area are not eligible unless there is evidence of disease progression or new lesions have been documented in the irradiated field* NOTE: *Exceptions may be made for low-dose palliative radiotherapy
• No known brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Bilirubin normal
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• Calcium ≤ 3 mmol/L
• Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60mL/min
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Must be accessible for treatment, response assessment, and follow-up
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer or any other curatively treated solid tumor
• No known history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to sunitinib malate
• No QTc prolongation (i.e., QTc interval ≥ 500 msec) or other significant ECG abnormalities
• No history of New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV heart failure

• No history of NYHA class II cardiac function unless both of the following criteria are met:

  • Asymptomatic with respect to cardiac function
  • LVEF > LLN by MUGA within the past 14 days
• No poorly controlled hypertension (i.e., systolic blood pressure [BP] ≥ 140 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mm Hg)

• None of the following within the past year:

  • Myocardial infarction
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
  • Stable/unstable angina
  • Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attack
• No bowel obstruction or any other condition (e.g., gastrointestinal tract disease resulting in an inability to take oral medication, requirement for IV alimentation, or active peptic ulcer disease) that would impair ability to swallow and retain sunitinib malate

• No serious illness or medical condition that would preclude study treatment including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  • History of significant neurologic or psychiatric disorder that would preclude study compliance or ability to obtain consent
  • Active uncontrolled infection
  • Any other medical conditions that might be aggravated by treatment
  • Serious or non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
  • Abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within the past 28 days
• No pre-existing hypothyroidism except euthyroid on medication
• No known HIV positivity

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Prior neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy allowed
• Prior chemoradiotherapy allowed

• Prior radiotherapy allowed, including external beam and/or intracavity radiotherapy

  • No prior radiotherapy to ≥ 30% of functioning bone marrow
• At least 28 days since prior major surgery and recovered
• At least 28 days since prior chemotherapy and recovered
• At least 28 days since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for recurrent metastatic disease
• No prior antiangiogenic agents or multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (e.g., bevacizumab, sorafenib tosylate, pazopanib, thalidomide, AZD2171, vandetanib, AMG706, vatalanib, or VEGF Trap)
• No prior surgical procedures affecting absorption

• No prior anthracycline exposure or central thoracic radiotherapy that included the heart in the radiation port unless both of the following criteria are met:

  • Asymptomatic with respect to cardiac function
  • LVEF > lower limit of normal (LLN) by MUGA within the past 14 days
• No coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft or stenting within the past year

• At least 7 days since prior and no concurrent CYP3A4 inhibitors, including any of the following:

  • Azole antifungals (e.g., ketoconazole or itraconazole)
  • Clarithromycin
  • Erythromycin
  • Diltiazem
  • Verapamil
  • HIV protease inhibitors (e.g., indinavir, saquinavir, ritonavir, atazanavir, or nelfinavir)
  • Delavirdine

• At least 12 days since prior and no concurrent CYP3A4 inducers, including any of the following:

  • Rifampin
  • Rifabutin
  • Carbamazepine
  • Phenobarbital
  • Phenytoin
  • Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
  • Efavirenz
  • Tipranavir
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients

• No concurrent therapeutic coumadin-derivative anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin) except for doses ≤ 2 mg per day for prophylaxis of thrombosis

  • Low molecular weight heparin allowed provided INR ≤ 1.5

• No concurrent agents with proarrhythmic potential, including any of the following:

  • Terfenadine
  • Quinidine
  • Procainamide
  • Disopyramide
  • Sotalol
  • Probucol
  • Bepridil
  • Haloperidol
  • Risperidone
  • Indapamide
  • Flecainide
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy, including other investigational anticancer agents