Paclitaxel or Polyglutamate Paclitaxel or Observation in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Ovarian Epithelial or Peritoneal Cancer or Fallopian Tube Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed stage III or IV ovarian epithelial or primary peritoneal cancer or fallopian tube cancer

• The following histologic epithelial cell types are allowed:

  • Serous adenocarcinoma
  • Endometrioid adenocarcinoma
  • Mucinous adenocarcinoma
  • Undifferentiated carcinoma
  • Clear cell adenocarcinoma
  • Mixed epithelial carcinoma
  • Transitional cell carcinoma
  • Malignant Brenner tumor
  • Adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified

• The following histologic cell types are not allowed:

  • Germ cell tumor
  • Sex cord-stromal tumor
  • Carcinosarcoma
  • Mixed müllerian tumor or carcinosarcoma
  • Metastatic carcinoma from other sites to the ovary

  • Low malignant potential (LMP) tumor (borderline carcinoma), including micropapillary serous carcinoma

    • Patients with a prior diagnosis of LMP tumor that was surgically resected and who subsequently developed invasive adenocarcinoma are eligible provided patient did not receive prior chemotherapy for the ovarian LMP tumor

• Must have undergone surgery for ovarian epithelial or primary peritoneal cancer AND have tissue available for histologic evaluation

  • Optimal (≤ 1 cm) residual disease OR suboptimal residual disease after initial surgery

• Must have completed at least 5, but no more that 8 courses of primary therapy comprising carboplatin (IV or intraperitoneal) AND paclitaxel or docetaxel-based combination chemotherapy within the past 12 weeks AND have no symptoms of persistent cancer after completion of therapy

  • CT scan of the abdomen and/or pelvis normal
  • CA 125 normal

• Patients treated with neo-adjuvant platinum-taxane chemotherapy for a presumptive diagnosis of stage III or IV primary peritoneal carcinoma or epithelial ovarian carcinoma (by paracentesis, percutaneous biopsy or open biopsy) are eligible provided the following criteria is met:

  • Must have undergone interval abdominal surgery after at least one but no more than 6 courses of standard chemotherapy

    • Surgery must meet the same criteria as the up front surgery, including tissue diagnosis for confirmation of primary tumor site and stage III or IV disease
    • Patients must have received at least 2 courses after interval abdominal surgery

• No synchronous primary endometrial cancer or history of primary endometrial cancer, unless all of the following criteria are met:

  • Stage ≤ IB
  • Less than 3 mm invasion without vascular or lymphatic invasion
  • No poorly differentiated subtypes, including papillary serous, clear cell, or other FIGO grade 3 lesion

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• Not specified

Performance status

• GOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• No active bleeding

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• PT or PTT normal
• No acute or chronic hepatitis

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular

• Abnormal cardiac conduction (e.g., bundle branch block or heart block) allowed provided the disease has remained stable within the past 6 months
• No unstable angina
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

Other

• No neuropathy (sensory and motor) ≥ grade 2
• No active infection requiring antibiotics
• No ongoing gastrointestinal bleeding requiring blood product support
• No circumstance that would preclude study participation
• No other invasive malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must agree to use an effective contraception method
• Negative pregnancy test

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No prior biologic therapy (e.g., bevacizumab or erlotinib) for any other abdominal or pelvic tumor

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior polyglutamate paclitaxel
• No prior chemotherapy for any other abdominal or pelvic tumor
• More than 3 years since prior adjuvant chemotherapy for localized breast cancer AND no recurrent or metastatic disease

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• No prior radiotherapy to any portion of the abdominal cavity or pelvis
• More than 3 years since prior radiotherapy for localized cancer of the breast, head and neck, or skin AND no recurrent or metastatic disease

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics

Other

• No prior investigational therapy for any other abdominal or pelvic tumor
• No prior anticancer therapy that would preclude study therapy
• No concurrent amifostine or other protective agents