Pemetrexed Disodium in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Persistent Low-Risk Gestational Trophoblastic Tumor After a Molar Pregnancy

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of low-risk post-molar gestational trophoblastic tumor, defined as 1 of the following:
• Increasing human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels on ≥ 3 consecutive measurements taken over ≥ a 2-week period
• Less than 10% decrease of hCG levels on 4 measurements taken over ≥ a 3-week period
• Persistent or recurrent disease
• Histologically confirmed complete or partial mole on initial evacuation
• Prior pregnancy ≤ 12 months ago
• No histologically confirmed choriocarcinoma or placental site trophoblastic tumor on initial evacuation
• Failed only 1 prior dactinomycin or methotrexate therapy (with or without leucovorin calcium)
• WHO score 2-6
• No evidence of metastatic disease, except to the lung or vagina, on physical exam, chemistry, chest X-ray, and ultrasound
• No liver, spleen, brain, kidney, or gastrointestinal tract metastases
• No more than 8 metastatic lesions

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• Any age

Performance status

• GOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm^3

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT ≤ 3 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 3 times ULN

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3 months after study participation
• No significant infection
• No other invasive malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No concurrent prophylactic filgrastim (G-CSF) unless for recurrent neutropenic complications
• No concurrent prophylactic thrombopoietic agents unless for recurrent grade 4 thrombocytopenia

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 7 days since prior dactinomycin or methotrexate (with or without leucovorin calcium) and recovered
• No prior pemetrexed disodium
• No other prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• At least 14 days since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No prior radiotherapy to ≥ 25% of the bone marrow

Surgery

• Recovered from prior surgery

Other

• No nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or salicylates for 2 days (or 5 days for drugs with a long half-life) before, during, and for 2 days after pemetrexed disodium administration
• Concurrent low-dose aspirin (≤ 325 mg/day) allowed