DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or pathologically confirmed ovarian epithelial carcinoma or primary peritoneal carcinoma

• Relapsed or refractory disease after primary therapy

  • Relapsed within 6 months after completion of prior taxane (paclitaxel or docetaxel)- and platinum (cisplatin or carboplatin)-based chemotherapy OR best response during 1 or 2 chemotherapy treatments was increasing disease

    • Two additional chemotherapy regimens (in addition to primary chemotherapy) are allowed
• Must have elevated CA-125 OR measurable disease

• No mixed Müllerian tumors or borderline ovarian tumors

  • History of borderline ovarian tumors that have evolved into higher grade tumors allowed
• No CNS or brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Zubrod performance status 0-1
• Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT or SGPT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Urine protein:creatinine ratio < 1.0
• Able to take oral medications
• Able to comply with study and/or follow-up procedures
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception during and for up to 3 months after completion of study treatment

• Baseline blood pressure ≤ 150/100 mm Hg

  • Patients with elevated blood pressure may be eligible provided blood pressure is adequately controlled with anti-hypertensive therapy
• No New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure
• No myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attack, or unstable angina within the past 6 months
• No clinically significant peripheral vascular disease
• No evidence of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy
• No ongoing problems with bowel obstruction or short bowel syndrome characterized by ≥ grade 2 diarrhea
• No malabsorption disorders
• No abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within the past 6 months
• No significant traumatic injury within the past 28 days
• No serious, non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
• No other malignancy except nonmelanoma skin cancer
• No other known severe and/or uncontrolled medical disease (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, uncontrolled chronic renal or liver disease, active uncontrolled infection, or HIV)
• No other unstable or preexisting major medical conditions
• No life-threatening medical complications related to the malignancy
• No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition that would preclude study follow-up or compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Prior hormonal therapy allowed
• At least 28 days since prior debulking surgery for relapsed disease and recovered
• More than 28 days since other prior major surgery or open biopsy and recovered
• More than 28 days since prior chemotherapy, biologic therapy, or any other investigational therapy and recovered
• More than 4 weeks since prior participation in an experimental drug study
• More than 7 days since prior minor surgery, fine needle aspiration, or core biopsy
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or hormonal anticancer therapy
• No concurrent major surgery
• No concurrent participation in another experimental drug study
• No other concurrent investigational agents