DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed ovarian epithelial cancer, primary peritoneal cancer, or fallopian tube cancer

  • Prior chemotherapy required
• Measurable or evaluable disease
• No symptomatic, untreated brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy:

• At least 4 months

Hematopoietic:

• WBC greater than 3,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) OR
• SGOT no greater than 2.5 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver metastases)

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

• No uncontrolled symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia

Other:

• No other active cancer
• No prior allergy to platinum compounds
• No prior allergic reactions to appropriate antiemetics (e.g., serotonin or antagonists) administered concurrently with study
• No other uncontrolled concurrent illness (e.g., infection)
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 6 months after study therapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• See Chemotherapy
• No concurrent colony stimulating factors during topotecan administration

Chemotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior high-dose chemotherapy requiring bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• No prior radiotherapy to whole pelvic field
• At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

Surgery:

• No unresolved sequelae resulting from prior surgery

Other:

• At least 4 weeks since other prior investigational drug
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy