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

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