Pemetrexed Disodium in Treating Patients With Recurrent Cancer of the Cervix

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed carcinoma of the cervix
• Squamous cell or non-squamous cell
• Recurrent disease
• Progressive disease
• Measurable disease
• At least 1 unidimensionally measurable target lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques, including palpation, plain x-ray, CT scan, or MRI OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• Tumors within a previously irradiated field are considered non-target lesions unless disease progression is documented or a biopsy is obtained to confirm persistence at least 90 days after completion of radiotherapy
• Not amenable to surgery, radiotherapy, or other therapy
• Must have received 1 prior systemic chemotherapy regimen for persistent or recurrent squamous cell or non-squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix
• Chemotherapy administered with primary radiotherapy as a radiosensitizer is not considered a systemic chemotherapy regimen
• Not eligible for a higher priority GOG protocol (i.e., any active phase III GOG protocol for the same patient population)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• Any age

Performance status

• GOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL

Hepatic

• AST and ALT ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)*
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 3 times ULN*
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN NOTE: * ≤ 5 times ULN if liver metastases are present

Renal

• Creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min

Other

• Not pregnant
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 3 months after study participation
• Neuropathy (sensory and motor) ≤ grade 1
• No active infection requiring antibiotics
• No other invasive malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• At least 3 weeks since prior biologic or immunologic agents for the malignant tumor
• At least 24 hours since prior growth factors
• One prior non-cytotoxic (biologic or cytostatic) regimen for recurrent or persistent disease allowed, including, but not limited to, the following:
• Monoclonal antibodies
• Cytokines
• Small-molecule inhibitors of signal transduction
• No concurrent routine colony-stimulating factors

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior chemotherapy
• No more than 1 prior cytotoxic chemotherapy regimen with either single or combination cytotoxic drug therapy
• No prior pemetrexed disodium

Endocrine therapy

• At least 1 week since prior hormonal therapy for the malignant tumor
• Concurrent hormone replacement therapy allowed

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No prior radiotherapy to > 25% of bone marrow

Surgery

• Recovered from prior surgery

Other

• At least 3 weeks since other prior therapy for the malignant tumor
• No nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for 2-5 days before, during, and for 1-2 days after study drug administration
• Concurrent daily low-dose (≤ 325 mg/day) aspirin therapy allowed
• No prior therapy that would contraindicate study participation