DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed advanced cancer primarily confined to the peritoneal cavity

  • Refractory to chemotherapy OR disease for which no "standard" chemotherapeutic regimen exists
• Patients with ovarian cancer who have residual disease at second-look laparotomy or following secondary debulking (performed 4-6 weeks ago) are eligible
• Measurable disease allowed but not required
• No known brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Karnofsky performance status 70-100%
• Life expectancy > 3 months
• Leukocytes > 3,000/mm^3
• ANC > 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count > 100,000/mm^3
• Total bilirubin normal
• AST/ALT < 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance > 60 mL/min
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

• No concurrent uncontrolled illness including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  • Ongoing or active infection
  • Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  • Unstable angina pectoris
  • Cardiac arrhythmia
  • Psychiatric illness or social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
• No ongoing abdominal infections or bowel obstruction
• No known peritoneal adhesions
• No pre-existing sensory neuropathy ≥ grade 2
• No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to paclitaxel albumin-stabilized nanoparticle formulation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior surgery
• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin C) or radiotherapy and recovered
• Prior taxanes allowed
• Prior intraperitoneal chemotherapy allowed provided it was not complicated by peritoneal adhesions
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy