DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma arising from the ovary, fallopian tubes, or peritoneum (i.e., peritoneal serous papillary adenocarcinoma)
• Received prior treatment with either cisplatin or carboplatin in combination with paclitaxel or docetaxel as first-line chemotherapy
• Radiographic evidence of progressive disease and/or a doubling of CA-125 levels ≥ 70 IU/mL following first-line chemotherapy
• Measurable disease as defined by RECIST criteria
• No CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/μL
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.5 g/dL
• Platelets > 100,000/μL
• Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN (≤ 5.0 times ULN if liver metastases are present)
• LVEF ≥ 50% by MUGA
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Surgically sterile or must use effective contraception
• No known HIV positivity or AIDS
• No uncontrolled heart disease, diabetes, or other medical condition that would place the patient at unacceptably high risk for toxicity
• No New York Heart Association class I-IV heart failure

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from all prior toxicities to ≤ grade 1 by NCI-CTC Version 2 criteria
• No other prior systemic therapies for this cancer except cisplatin or carboplatin in combination with paclitaxel or docetaxel as first-line chemotherapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy
• No concurrent anticancer therapy