RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of platinum-based chemotherapy with or without paclitaxel in treating patients with relapsed ovarian epithelial cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

• Compare survival of patients with relapsed ovarian epithelial or peritoneal cancer treated with paclitaxel and either carboplatin or cisplatin vs conventional platinum-based chemotherapy.
• Compare the quality of life and health economics of these regimens in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized study. Patients are randomized to one of two treatment arms.

• Arm I: Patients receive platinum-based chemotherapy (that is familiar to the oncologist and used routinely by the center) comprising either cisplatin or carboplatin alone or cisplatin in combination with other drugs.
• Arm II: Patients receive paclitaxel IV over 3 hours followed by either carboplatin or cisplatin. Treatment for both arms continues every 3 weeks for up to 6 courses in the absence of unacceptable toxicity.

Quality of life is assessed.

Patients are followed at 6 months, every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 3 years, and then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A maximum of 800 patients will be accrued for this study.

Genders Eligible for Study:  Both

Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Ovarian epithelial cancer or serous peritoneal carcinoma that has relapsed after prior chemotherapy
• Progression-free interval (from end of last treatment) of at least 6 months
• Measurable disease not required

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age:

• Not specified

Performance status:

• Not specified

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin less than 2 times normal

Renal:

• Not specified

Other:

• No sepsis
• No contraindication to chemotherapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• Not specified

Surgery

• Not specified