Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed recurrent, persistent or metastatic cervical carcinoma
(squamous or adenocarcinoma), with no potentially curative standard treatment

- Measurable disease or evaluable disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 18 to physiological 60

Performance status:

- ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

- Greater than 2 months

Hematopoietic:

- WBC greater than 3000/mm3

- Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm3

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin less than 1.5 times normal

- SGOT/SGPT less than 1.5 times normal

Renal:

- BUN less than 1.5 times normal

- Creatinine less than 1.5 times normal

- Creatinine clearance greater than 50 mL/min

Other:

- Ineligible for other high priority national or institutional study

- Not pregnant or nursing

- HIV negative

- No prior malignancy except nonmelanoma skin cancer

- No serious medical or psychiatric illness preventing treatment or informed consent

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- Not specified

Chemotherapy:

- Greater than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy

- No greater than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens

- No prior taxane or camptothecin

Endocrine therapy:

- No concurrent hormonal therapy except that required for nondisease related conditions
(e.g., insulin for diabetes)

Radiotherapy:

- Greater than 4 weeks since prior radiation therapy

- No concurrent radiation therapy

Surgery:

- Greater than 4 weeks since prior surgery