Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Stage IC-IV Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, or Primary Peritoneal Cancer

You may be eligible if

• 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