Cidofovir in Treating Patients With Stage IB, Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IVA Cervical Cancer Who Are Receiving Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the cervix * Stage IB2 (\> 4 cm), II, III, or IVA disease * No lumbo-aortic metastasis * Initial tumor must be HPV-positive PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * WHO performance status 0-1 * Life expectancy \> 3 months * ANC \> 2,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL * Transaminases \< 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Alkaline phosphatase \< 1.5 times ULN * Bilirubin \< 1.5 times ULN * Creatinine \< 1.5 times ULN * Creatinine clearance ≥ 55 mL/min * Proteinuria \< 2 g/L * Not pregnant * Negative pregnancy test * No renal disease * No concurrent active infection * No prior or concurrent psychiatric illness * No history of cancer except for basal cell carcinoma * No other active infection or serious illness that would prevent the patient from receiving study treatment * No known psychological, familial, social, or geographic reason that would preclude clinical monitoring PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * No prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy * More than 30 days since prior experimental drugs