DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed endometrial adenocarcinoma

  • Persistent or recurrent disease
• Refractory to curative or standard therapy

• Measurable disease

  • At least 1 unidimensionally measurable target lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques, including palpation, plain x-ray, CT scan, or MRI OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan
  • Tumors within a previously irradiated field are considered non-target lesions unless progression is documented or biopsy is obtained to confirm persistence ≥ 90 days after completion of radiotherapy

• Must have received 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for endometrial cancer

  • Initial treatment may have included high-dose therapy, consolidation, or extended therapy administered after surgical or non-surgical assessment
• Not eligible for a higher priority GOG protocol (i.e., any active phase III GOG protocol for the same patient population)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• Any age

Performance status

• GOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL

Hepatic

• AST and ALT ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)*
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 3 times ULN*
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN NOTE: * ≤ 5 times ULN if liver metastases are present

Renal

• Creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min

Other

• Not pregnant
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 3 months after study participation
• Neuropathy (sensory and motor) ≤ grade 1
• No active infection requiring antibiotics
• No other invasive malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• At least 3 weeks since prior biologic or immunologic agents for the malignant tumor

• One prior non-cytotoxic (biologic or cytostatic) regimen for recurrent or persistent disease allowed, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Monoclonal antibodies
  • Cytokines
  • Small-molecule inhibitors of signal transduction
• At least 24 hours since prior growth factors
• No concurrent routine colony-stimulating factors

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior chemotherapy
• No more than 1 prior cytotoxic chemotherapy regimen with either single or combination cytotoxic drug therapy
• No prior pemetrexed disodium

Endocrine therapy

• At least 1 week since prior hormonal therapy directed at the malignant tumor
• Concurrent hormone replacement therapy allowed

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No prior radiotherapy to ≥ 25% of bone marrow

Surgery

• Recovered from prior surgery

Other

• At least 3 weeks since other prior therapy directed at the malignant tumor

• No nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs 2-5 days before, during, and for 1-2 days after study drug administration

  • Concurrent daily low-dose (≤ 325 mg/day) aspirin therapy allowed
• No prior therapy that would contraindicate study participation