DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed colorectal adenocarcinoma meeting the following criteria:

  • Exclusively peritoneal carcinomatosis (no other metastases)
  • Resectable disease
• Primary tumor may be same in the same location as another synchronous carcinomatosis
• Patients with metastatic disease who have been in complete remission for more than 1 year are eligible regardless of prior chemotherapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• WHO performance status 0-2
• Life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks
• ANC ≥ 1.5 x 10^9/L
• Platelet count ≥ 100 x 10^9/L
• Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.25 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT ≤ 3 times ULN
• Creatinine ≤ 1.25 times ULN
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No allergy, hypersensitivity, or other contraindication to leucovorin calcium, oxaliplatin, or fluorouracil
• No other noncancerous disease that would preclude study therapy
• Good nutritional status
• No sensitive peripheral neuropathy with functional impairment
• No hypoplasia or bone marrow failure
• No clinically significant cardiovascular disease within the past year (e.g., unstable angina or myocardial infarction)
• No other cancer within the past 5 years unless in complete remission with the exception of cervical carcinoma in situ or basal cell cancer
• No patients deprived of liberty or under supervision
• No psychological, social, familial, or geographical reasons prohibiting follow-up

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 1 year since prior adjuvant chemotherapy, including prior therapy with oxaliplatin and/or cetuximab
• No prophylactic phenytoin (Dihydan®, Dilantin®)
• No prior yellow fever vaccine
• More than 1 month since participation in another study