RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy consisting of tirapazamine plus cisplatin in treating patients who have metastatic, recurrent, or refractory cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluate the survival of patients with metastatic or recurrent epithelial squamous or adenosquamous carcinoma of the cervix when treated with intravenous tirapazamine plus intravenous cisplatin. II. Evaluate the unconfirmed complete and partial response rates of these patients, as well as, the nature and degree of toxicity associated with this regimen in this patient population.

OUTLINE: Patients receive tirapazamine intravenously over 2 hours and then, following a 1 hour rest, receive cisplatin intravenously over 1 hour. Courses are repeated every 21 days. Treatment continues for 6-10 courses in the absence of unacceptable toxic effects or disease progression. All patients are followed every 6 months for 2 years, then annually thereafter until death.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 50 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed squamous or adenosquamous carcinoma of the cervix that is metastatic, recurrent, or refractory Any stage disease treated with prior radical surgery and/or definitive radiotherapy that has locally recurred and is no longer amenable to surgery or radiotherapy OR Metastatic disease that is not amenable to surgery or radiation therapy Measurable disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: SWOG 0-2 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3,000/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Not specified Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal Other: No history of allergic reaction to mannitol Not pregnant or nursing Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after study No other prior malignancy except: Adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer In situ cervical cancer Adequately treated stage I or II cancer from which the patient is currently in complete remission Any other cancer from which the patient has been disease free for 5 years

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: No concurrent colony stimulating factor therapy Chemotherapy: Prior chemotherapy (hydroxyurea, fluorouracil, metronidazole, cisplatin, or other platinum agent) allowed as a radiosensitizing agent only No other concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: See Disease Characteristics Prior radiotherapy allowed to less than 30% of the bone marrow only Recovered from toxic effects No concurrent radiotherapy Surgery: See Disease Characteristics Prior surgery allowed Recovered from effects of prior surgery Other: No prior systemic therapy for this disease