This randomized phase III trial compares how well two different combination chemotherapy regimens (doxorubicin hydrochloride, cisplatin, and paclitaxel versus carboplatin and paclitaxel) work in treating patients with endometrial cancer that is stage III-IV or has come back (recurrent). Drugs used in chemotherapy such as doxorubicin hydrochloride, cisplatin, paclitaxel, and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. It is not yet known which combination chemotherapy regimen is more effective in treating endometrial cancer.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine if the combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel (TC) chemotherapy is therapeutically equivalent to the combination of doxorubicin (doxorubicin hydrochloride), cisplatin and paclitaxel (TAP) chemotherapy with regards to survival. II. To determine if estrogen/progesterone receptor status provides prognostic information in patients treated with chemotherapy. III. To assess whether combination TC chemotherapy is superior to combination TAP chemotherapy with regards to toxicity profile, specifically neurotoxicity and infection. IV. To measure differences in patient-reported neurotoxicity and quality of life (QOL) among the regimens. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. Patients with left ventricular ejection fraction \< 50% at randomization who are initially randomized to Arm I are immediately crossed over to Arm II. ARM I: Patients receive doxorubicin hydrochloride intravenously (IV) over approximately 15-30 minutes on day 1, cisplatin IV over 60-90 minutes on day 1, paclitaxel IV over 3 hours on day 2, and filgrastim subcutaneously (SC) on days 3-12 or pegfilgrastim SC on day 3. ARM II: Patients receive paclitaxel IV over 3 hours and carboplatin IV over 30-60 minutes on day 1. In both arms, treatment repeats every 21 days for 7 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 3 years, and then annually thereafter.