Paclitaxel and Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Persistent or Recurrent Stage III or Stage IV Uterine Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed uterine carcinosarcoma (mixed mesodermal tumor)

  * Stage III or IV disease
  * Persistent or recurrent disease
* Documented disease progression
* Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan

  * At least 1 target lesion

    * Tumors within a previously irradiated field are not considered target lesions unless there is documented disease progression
* Ineligible for any higher priority Gynecology Oncology Group (GOG) protocol (i.e., any active GOG phase III protocol for the same patient population)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* GOG 0-2

Life expectancy

* Not specified

Hematopoietic

* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3

Hepatic

* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* SGOT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN

Renal

* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No active infection requiring antibiotics
* No other invasive malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer
* No sensory or motor neuropathy \> grade 1

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* Not specified

Chemotherapy

* No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy for uterine sarcoma

Endocrine therapy

* At least 1 week since prior hormonal therapy for uterine sarcoma
* Concurrent hormone replacement therapy allowed

Radiotherapy

* See Disease Characteristics

Surgery

* Not specified

Other

* Recovered from all prior therapy
* No prior anticancer therapy that would preclude study therapy