RATIONALE: Hormone therapy may be an effective treatment for endometrial cancer.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of danazol in treating patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.

OBJECTIVES: I. Assess the antitumor activity of danazol in patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. II. Determine the nature and toxicity of danazol in these patients.

OUTLINE: Patients receive oral danazol 4 times per day for at least 4 weeks. Patients with partial response, complete response, or stable disease continue treatment in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 2 years, and then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 23-56 patients will be accrued for this study within 26 months.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically proven advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer that is not amenable to curative surgery or radiotherapy Measurable disease Tumor at least 1.0 cm by 1.0 cm per x-ray or physical exam OR Tumor at least 2.0 cm by 2.0 cm per CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Not specified Performance status: GOG 0-2 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3000/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 No history of porphyria Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times normal SGOT no greater than 3 times normal Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 3 times normal Renal: Creatinine no greater than 2 mg/dL Other: No concurrent or prior malignancy within past 5 years (except nonmelanoma skin cancer) or for which patient received chemotherapy Not pregnant or nursing Fertile patients must use effective contraception Must have tissue available for estrogen receptor/ progesterone receptor analysis

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: No prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered Surgery: At least 3 weeks since prior surgery and recovered