Inclusion Criteria:

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of 1 of the following:

  • Ovarian epithelial adenocarcinoma
  • Fallopian tube cancer
  • Peritoneal cavity cancer
• Recurrent or persistent disease after no more than 2 prior treatment regimens (1 regimen for primary disease and/or 1 regimen for recurrent disease)

• Platinum-resistant disease, defined as 1 of the following:

  • Treatment-free interval < 6 months after platinum-based therapy
  • Disease progression during platinum-based therapy
• Measurable disease by physical exam, chest x-ray, CT scan, or MRI
• No brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Gynecologic Oncology Group performance status 0-2
• Life expectancy > 6 months
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min
• Bilirubin normal

• AST or ALT and alkaline phosphatase (AP) meeting 1 of the following criteria:

  • AST or ALT ≤ 5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) AND AP normal
  • AST or ALT ≤ 1.5 times ULN AND AP ≤ 2.5 times ULN
  • AST or ALT normal AND AP ≤ 5 times ULN
• No peripheral neuropathy > grade 2
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 6 months after completion of study treatment
• No other concurrent malignancy except for curatively treated nonmelanoma skin cancer
• No prior invasive malignancy < 5 years after curative therapy
• No serious uncontrolled medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude study participation or limit survival to < 6 months
• No history of severe hypersensitivity reaction to drugs formulated with polysorbate 80 or to fluoropyrimidine therapy or fluorouracil
• No inability to tolerate oral medication due to bowel obstruction, lack of physical integrity of the upper gastrointestinal tract, inability to swallow, or malabsorption syndrome
• No serious concurrent infections

• No clinically significant cardiac disease not well controlled with medication, including any of the following:

  • Congestive heart failure
  • Symptomatic coronary artery disease
  • Symptomatic cardiac arrhythmias
  • Myocardial infarction within the past 12 months

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior docetaxel or capecitabine or other fluoropyrimidine therapy
• Recovered from prior therapy
• At least 2 weeks since prior major surgery
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or radiotherapy
• No other concurrent chemotherapeutic agents, biological therapy, radiotherapy, or other investigational agents