DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed ovarian epithelial cancer, primary peritoneal cancer, or fallopian tube cancer

  • Persistent or recurrent disease
• Nonmeasurable disease

• Platinum-sensitive disease

  • Must have attained a clinically defined complete response after prior platinum- (cisplatin or carboplatin) and taxane-based combination chemotherapy regimen

    • Patients with partial response or disease progression after first-line therapy are not eligible
    • No disease recurrence within 6 months after completion of first-line platinum-taxane therapy

• Must have undergone laparoscopy or laparotomy for either of the following:

  • Second-look surgery after a complete response to first-line therapy

    • No negative second-look surgery
  • Secondary cytoreductive surgery for recurrent disease ≥ 6 months after completion of first-line chemotherapy
• No greater than 1 cm residual disease at the completion of laparoscopy or laparotomy AND no diffuse carcinomatosis

• Disease must be confined to the peritoneal cavity

  • Retroperitoneal disease ≤ 1 cm at the completion of prior surgery allowed
• Not a candidate for a higher priority GOG protocol
• No tumors of low malignant potential

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• GOG performance status 0-2
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• SGOT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Neuropathy (sensory and motor) ≤ grade 1
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No active infection requiring antibiotics
• No other invasive malignancies within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer
• No extensive intra-abdominal adhesions

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior surgery or chemotherapy
• No prior intraperitoneal therapy
• No prior gemcitabine hydrochloride
• No more than 1 prior regimen (including consolidation chemotherapy) for ovarian epithelial cancer, primary peritoneal cancer, or fallopian tube cancer
• No radiotherapy to > 25% of marrow-bearing areas
• No prior abdominal-pelvic radiotherapy
• No prior cancer treatment that would preclude study therapy

• No other prior therapy directed at the malignant tumor, including biological agents (unless this was part of front-line therapy), immunologic agents, vaccines, second-line chemotherapy, or hormonal therapy

  • Concurrent hormone replacement therapy allowed
• No concurrent amifostine or other protective reagents