Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed carcinoma of the cervix, including the
following subtypes:

- Squamous cell carcinoma

- Adenosquamous cell carcinoma

- Adenocarcinoma

- Unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic disease incurable by standard therapy

- Tissue from primary tumor available

- Clinically and/or radiologically measurable disease, as defined by any of the
following:

- At least 20 mm lesion by chest x-ray

- At least 10 mm lesion (in longest diameter) by CT scan (with slice thickness of
< 5 mm)

- At least 10 mm lesion by physical exam (using calipers)

- At least 15 mm lymph nodes by CT scan (measured in short axis)

- No known brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG performance status 0-2

- Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks

- Granulocyte count ≥ 1.5 x 10^9/L

- Platelet count ≥ 100 x 10^9/L

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN

- Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

- Fasting serum cholesterol ≤ 9.0 mmol/L

- Fasting triglycerides ≤ 2.5 times ULN

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No other malignancies except adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer or other
solid tumor curatively treated with no evidence of disease for > 5 years

- No serious cardiovascular illness, including any of the following:

- Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

- Congestive heart failure (even if medically controlled)

- Unstable angina

- Active cardiomyopathy

- Unstable ventricular arrhythmia

- Uncontrolled hypertension

- No serious illness or medical condition that would preclude study participation
including, but not limited to, the following:

- Active uncontrolled infection or non-healing wound

- Active peptic ulcer disease, gastrointestinal perforation, or abscess

- Active bleeding or other medical condition that may be aggravated by study
treatment

- History of fistula at any location

- Patients believed to be at high risk for fistula formation because of the
location and extent of their disease should not be enrolled on study

- History of significant neurologic or psychiatric disorder that would impair the
ability to obtain informed consent or limit compliance with study requirements

- No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or
biologic composition to temsirolimus

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- No prior treatment with an mTOR inhibitor

- No more than one prior chemotherapy regimen

- Radiosensitizing cisplatin given concurrently with radiotherapy at the time of
initial diagnosis and treatment is not considered systemic chemotherapy

- At least 28 days since prior chemotherapy

- At least 28 days since prior radiotherapy (except for low-dose, palliative
radiotherapy) and recovered

- At least 28 days since prior major surgery (wound healing must have occurred)

- No other concurrent investigational agents or anticancer therapy

- Concurrent therapeutic anticoagulation allowed provided PT/INR or PTT is closely
monitored during study therapy