Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed cervical cancer or other pelvic malignancy, including
vaginal, endometrial, or ovarian cancer

- Primary or recurrent disease

- Locally advanced disease, defined as the following:

- Stage IB2-IVA (for cervical or vaginal cancer)

- Any non-extra pelvic metastatic stage (for endometrial or ovarian cancer)

- Not amenable to curative surgical resection alone

- Bidimensionally measurable or clinically evaluable disease

- Refused or ineligible for weekly IV cisplatin chemotherapy due to renal
insufficiency, prior platinum adverse sensitivity, pre-existing neuropathy, or
concurrent co-morbid illness

- No histologically confirmed or clinically suspicious (≥ 1 cm) para-aortic
lymphadenopathy

- No brain metastases or primary brain tumors

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over (80 and under for second and third dose-escalation levels)

Performance status

- GOG 0-2

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3

- Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin ≥ 10.0 g/dL

Hepatic

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

- AST and ALT < 2 times upper limit of normal

Renal

- See Disease Characteristics

- Creatinine normal OR

- Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min*

- No proteinuria or clinically significant impaired renal function NOTE: *Creatine
clearance testing required in patients > 60 years of age

Cardiovascular

- No symptomatic New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure

- No unstable angina pectoris

- No cardiac arrhythmia

- No uncontrolled hypertension

Gastrointestinal

- Able to swallow oral medication

- No bowel obstruction

- No malabsorption illness

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No known hypersensitivity to capecitabine or fluorouracil

- No ongoing or active infection

- No other uncontrolled illness

- No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance

- No other active invasive malignancy

- Prior malignancy in remission for ≥ 6 months that is not currently being treated
allowed

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- Not specified

Chemotherapy

- Recovered from prior chemotherapy

- At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin or nitrosoureas)

- Prior chemotherapy for a non-gynecologic malignancy or in the adjuvant setting
allowed

- No prior capecitabine

Endocrine therapy

- Prior adjuvant hormonal therapy allowed

Radiotherapy

- Recovered from prior radiotherapy

- At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

- Prior radiotherapy for a non-gynecologic malignancy allowed

- No prior low abdominal or pelvic radiotherapy

Surgery

- Not specified

Other

- At least 3 weeks since prior investigational anticancer agents and recovered

- No prior anticancer treatment that contraindicates study therapy