Inclusion Criteria:

* Pathologically proven primary cervical cancer I-IIA with squamous cell carcinoma, adenosquamous carcinoma or adenocarcinoma initially treated with a standard radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy
* Patients with the following characteristics (depth of stromal invasion and lymphovascular space involvement to be pathologically confirmed):

* Positive capillary-lymphovascular space involvement and one of the following:

* Deep third penetration
* Middle third penetration, clinical tumor \>= 2 cm
* Superficial third penetration, clinical tumor \>= 5 cm
* Negative capillary-lymphatic space involvement

* Middle or deep third penetration, clinical tumor \>= 4 cm
* Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>= 1,500/mcl
* Platelets \>= 100,000/mcl
* Creatinine =\< upper limit of normal (ULN) or calculated creatinine clearance \>= 60 mL/min
* Bilirubin =\< 1.5 x normal
* Alkaline phosphate =\< 3 x normal
* Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) =\< 3 x normal
* Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) performance status 0, 1, 2
* Patients should not be randomized less than 3 weeks post-surgery but will not be acceptable for randomization more than 8 weeks post-surgery
* Patients who have met the pre-entry requirements
* Patients must have signed an approved informed consent and authorization permitting release of personal health information

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients with tumor in the parametria, pelvic lymph nodes or any other extra uterine site or with positive surgical margins
* Patients with septicemia or severe infection
* Patients with intestinal obstruction or gastrointestinal bleeding
* Patients with postoperative fistula
* Patients with cervix cancer who have received any previous radiation or chemotherapy
* Patients whose circumstances do not permit completion of the study or the required follow-up
* Patients with renal abnormalities requiring modification of radiation field (pelvic kidney, renal transplant, etc.)
* Patients with GOG performance status of 3 or 4
* Patients with a history of other invasive malignancies, with the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer, are excluded if there is any evidence of other malignancy being present within the last five years; patients are also excluded if their previous cancer treatment contraindicates this protocol therapy