Fludeoxyglucose (FDG) F 18 PET Scan, CT Scan, and Ferumoxtran-10 MRI Scan Before Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy in Finding Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients With Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer or High-Risk Endometrial Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of the following:

  * Invasive carcinoma of the cervix meeting all of the following criteria:

    * Previously untreated, primary disease
    * Locoregionally advanced (stage IB2, IIA \[\>= 4 cm\], or IIB-IVA) disease
    * Any cell type allowed
  * High-risk endometrial carcinoma meeting 1 of the following criteria:

    * Grade 3 endometrioid or non-endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (clear cell or serous papillary) or carcinosarcoma diagnosed from an endometrial biopsy or dilation and curettage or
    * Grade 1 or 2 endometrioid endometrial carcinoma with cervical stromal involvement overt on clinical examination or confirmed by endocervical curettage
* Under consideration for chemoradiotherapy (patients with cervical cancer)
* Undergone appropriate surgery for cervical or endometrial carcinoma with appropriate tissue available for histologic evaluation to confirm diagnosis and stage
* Appropriate surgical candidate to undergo extraperitoneal or laparoscopic lymph node sampling OR hysterectomy and lymph node sampling

  * No surgery for patients with advanced lymphadenopathy
* No recurrent invasive carcinoma of the uterus or uterine cervix regardless of previous treatment
* No known metastases to the lungs or scalene lymph nodes
* No metastases to other organs outside of the pelvis or abdominal lymph nodes at the time of the original clinical diagnosis

  * Patients with endometrial cancer with known intraperitoneal disease are eligible provided they undergo pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy per protocol
* Participants must be enrolled at an American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN)-affiliated institution that is accredited by Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG)
* GOG performance status 0-2
* Creatinine within normal institutional limits OR, in participants with creatinine levels above institutional normal, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) must be \> 60 mL/min; there is no lower limit of normal for serum creatinine for this protocol
* Ferritin levels =\< 600 ng/mL OR saturation of transferrin level =\< 50%

  * Patients with high levels of ferritin or transferrin are eligible if documented hematology rules out iron overload
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* No patients weighing greater than that allowable by the PET/CT scanner
* No renal abnormalities, such as a pelvic kidney, horseshoe kidney, or renal transplantation, that would require modification of the lymphadenectomy
* No history of anaphylactic or life-threatening allergic reactions to any contrast media
* No other invasive malignancies within the past 5 years with the exception of nonmelanoma skin cancer
* No contraindication to MRI (e.g., severe claustrophobia, pacemaker, aneurysm clips, defibrillators, or other institutional contraindication to MRI)
* No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to ferumoxtran-10 (e.g., iron preparations, parenteral iron, parenteral dextran, parenteral iron-dextran, or parenteral iron-polysaccharide preparations)
* No immunodeficiencies that would predispose patient to specific or nonspecific mediator release
* No history of cirrhosis
* No poorly controlled, insulin-dependent diabetes (i.e., fasting blood glucose level \> 200 mg/dL)
* No prior pelvic or abdominal lymphadenectomy
* No prior pelvic radiotherapy
* No prior anticancer therapy that would contraindicate study participation
* No ferumoxides within the past 2 weeks
* No investigational agents within the past 30 days
* No other concurrent investigational agents