DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

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

  • Stage IC-IV disease
  • Peritoneal carcinomatosis* (ovarian-type) must not be a mucin-secreting tumor
  • Stage IC patients must have malignant cells in ascitic fluid or peritoneal washings, tumor on the surface of the ovary, or preoperative capsule rupture NOTE: * Histologic confirmation of a primary source in the ovary is not required.

• If biospy is not available, cytology showing an adenocarcinoma is allowed provided the following criteria is met:

  • Patient has a pelvis (ovarian) mass AND all of the following:

    • Omental cake or other metastasis is larger than 2 cm in the upper abdomen and/or regional lymph node metastasis irrespective of size OR stage IV disease
    • Serum CA 125/CEA ratio > 25 or barium enema (or colonoscopy) and gastroscopy (or radiological examination of the stomach) are negative for the presence of a primary tumor and normal mammography within 6 weeks prior to study randomization

• Initial cytoreductive laparotomy or biopsy required within the past 8 weeks

  • Cytoreductive surgery may or may not have been successful during staging laparotomy
• No mixed mesodermal tumors
• No borderline ovarian tumors or tumors termed "possibly malignant"
• No adenocarcinoma of unknown origin, if histologically confirmed to be a mucin-secreting tumor
• Considered unsuitable for or unwilling to receive platinum-taxane combination therapy
• No concurrent endometrial cancer

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-3

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

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

Hepatic

• Bilirubin normal
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times ULN

Renal

• Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min

  • Obstructive hydronephrosis as a cause of borderline (i.e., creatinine clearance 30-45 mL/min) renal function must be treated before study entry

Cardiovascular

• No hypertension
• No ischemic heart disease
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No congestive heart failure

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No symptomatic peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
• No uncontrolled infection
• No other severe and/or uncontrolled medical condition
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal cell skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• No prior chemotherapy
• No other concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy until progressive disease occurs

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• No prior radiotherapy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics