Interleukin-12 in Treating Patients With Refractory Advanced-Stage Ovarian Cancer or Abdominal Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed intraabdominal cancer
• Diffuse abdominal carcinomatosis Chemotherapy refractory advanced stage ovarian cancer
• Measurable disease
• Residual, recurrent, or metastatic disease beyond the scope of standard curative therapy
• Extension of disease to sites distant to the peritoneal cavity allowed Retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy allowed as long as there is evaluable intraabdominal disease
• No history of progressive brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Age: 18 and over
• Performance status: Karnofsky 70-100%
• Hemoglobin greater than 9 g/dL
• WBC greater than 3,000/mm3
• Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm3
• Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL
• ALT less than 100 U/L
• Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min
• Normal electrocardiogram
• No recent history of cardiac ischemia
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Hepatitis B negative
• No evidence of clinical immunodeficiency syndromes or immunodeficiency associated diseases
• No history of autoimmune disease
• No concurrent major illness
• No serious infection requiring intravenous antibiotics
• No active peptic ulcer disease
• Must have free flow of fluid into the peritoneal space
• No leakage from the catheter exit site

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• At least 3 weeks since prior biologic therapy (6 weeks for interleukin-2)
• No prior recombinant human interleukin-12
• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas)
• No concurrent systemic chemotherapy
• No concurrent systemic corticosteroids
• No prior radiation therapy to the whole abdomen
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• At least 3 weeks since prior exposure to any investigational drug
• No concurrent investigational drug