DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed endometrial cancer of 1 of the following types:

  • Clear cell carcinoma
  • Serous papillary carcinoma
  • Undifferentiated (anaplastic) carcinoma
  • Poorly differentiated (FIGO grade 3) adenocarcinoma with infiltration to more than half the myometrial thickness
• No small cell carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation
• Primary in FIGO surgical stage I or occult stage II

• No spread of disease outside the uterine corpus except to pelvic lymph nodes

  • No spread of disease to para-aortic lymph nodes
• Positive peritoneal washings allowed

• No preoperative macroscopic tumor involvement of the cervix

  • Microscopic tumor involvement of the cervix on histopathological evaluation of the operative uterine specimen allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Any age

Performance status:

• WHO 0-2

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Adequate bone marrow function
• WBC at least 3,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Adequate hepatic function

Renal:

• Adequate renal function
• Creatinine no greater than 1.4 mg/dL

Pulmonary:

• Adequate pulmonary function

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fit to receive combination chemotherapy
• No other malignancy except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
• No uncontrolled or potentially active site of infection (e.g., fistula or abscesses)
• No other concurrent condition that would produce a substantial increase in risk for complications from radiotherapy
• No other concurrent condition that would interfere with adequate follow-up

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• No prior preoperative irradiation

Surgery:

• No prior extensive abdominal surgery