Capecitabine in Treating Patients With Persistent or Recurrent Cervical Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically confirmed primary non-squamous cell carcinoma (non-SCC) of the cervix * Persistent or recurrent disease * Eligible subtypes include: * Adenocarcinoma * Adenosquamous cell carcinoma * Undifferentiated carcinoma * Documented disease progression * At least 1 unidimensionally measurable target lesion outside prior irradiation field * At least 20 mm by conventional techniques (e.g., palpation, plain x-ray, CT scan, and MRI) * At least 10 mm by spiral CT scan * Received 1 prior systemic chemotherapy regimen for advanced, metastatic, or recurrent non-SCC of the cervix * Radiosensitizing chemotherapy administered in combination with primary radiotherapy is not counted as a systemic chemotherapy regimen * Tissue blocks from initial diagnosis, metastasis, or recurrence available for submission to the GOG tissue bank * Ineligible for higher priority Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) protocol (if one exists), defined as any Temporarily closed GOG phase III protocol for the same patient population * Performance status - GOG 0-2 * Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * SGOT no greater than 2.5 times ULN * Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN * Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min * Not pregnant * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No Temporarily closed infection requiring antibiotics * No grade 2 or greater sensory or motor neuropathy * No other invasive malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer * At least 3 weeks since prior biological or immunological anticancer agents * No more than 1 prior non-cytotoxic biologic therapy or cytostatic regimen (e.g., monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, or small-molecule inhibitors of signal transduction) for recurrent or persistent non-SCC of the cervix * See Disease Characteristics * See Biologic therapy * At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered * No prior capecitabine * No more than 1 prior cytotoxic chemotherapy regimen (either with single or combination cytotoxic drug therapy) * At least 1 week since prior hormonal anticancer therapy * Concurrent hormone replacement therapy allowed * See Disease Characteristics * At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered * Recovered from prior recent surgery * At least 3 weeks since other prior anticancer therapy * No prior cancer treatment that would preclude this study therapy