Cisplatin and Radiation Therapy With or Without Hyperthermia Therapy in Treating Patients With Cervical Cancer

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cisplatin, work in different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Hyperthermia therapy kills tumor cells by heating them to several degrees above body temperature. It is not yet known whether chemotherapy and radiation therapy are more effective with or without hyperthermia therapy in treating cervical cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial compared the safety and efficacy of cisplatin and radiation therapy, together with hyperthermia therapy versus cisplatin and radiation therapy alone in the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer.