PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Under 50 Sex: Women only Menopausal status: Any status Performance status: Not specified Life expectancy: No limits on life expectancy due to intercurrent illness Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3,000 Platelets at least 90,000 Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL Hepatic: Normal liver function required Renal: Normal kidney function required Other: Fit for surgery No prior treatment for other malignancies except: Nonmelanomatous skin cancer Cone-biopsied in situ carcinoma of the cervix English-speaking patients eligible for quality-of-life assessments