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

You may be eligible if

• 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