Cetuximab and Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Recurrent Ovarian Epithelial Cancer or Primary Peritoneal Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed ovarian epithelial or primary peritoneal cancer

  * Recurrent disease
* Measurable disease

  * At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques, including palpation, plain x-ray, CT scan, or MRI OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan
  * Target lesion not within previously irradiated field
* Received 1 prior platinum-based chemotherapy regimen for primary disease containing carboplatin, cisplatin, or other organoplatinum compound

  * Initial treatment may have included high-dose, consolidation, or extended therapy administered after surgical or non-surgical assessment
  * Patients who had not received prior paclitaxel therapy may have received a second regimen that included paclitaxel
* Platinum-sensitive disease

  * Treatment-free interval without clinical evidence of progressive disease for more than 6 months after response to a prior platinum-based regimen
  * If there is another concurrently active GOG-0146 series protocol (non-platinum-based therapy), must have had a treatment-free interval of more than 12 months unless ineligible for the other protocol\* NOTE: \*Applies whether or not both protocols are available at the same participating center
* Must have available tissue block or unstained sections from primary tumor, interval debulking, or secondary debulking
* Not eligible for a higher priority GOG protocol (i.e., any active phase III GOG protocol for the same patient population)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* GOG 0-2

Life expectancy

* Not specified

Hematopoietic

* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3

Hepatic

* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* SGOT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN

Renal

* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular

* No uncontrolled hypertension
* No unstable angina
* No congestive heart failure
* No uncontrolled arrhythmias within the past 6 months
* No other significant cardiac disease

Neurologic

* No uncontrolled seizure disorder
* No active neurological disease
* No neuropathy \> grade 1

Other

* No other invasive malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer
* No active infection requiring antibiotics
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* No prior anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody therapy
* No prior chimerized or murine monoclonal antibody therapy
* At least 3 weeks since prior biologic or immunologic therapy for the malignancy

Chemotherapy

* See Disease Characteristics
* Recovered from prior chemotherapy
* No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy for recurrent disease, including retreatment with initial chemotherapy regimens

Endocrine therapy

* At least 1 week since prior hormonal therapy for the malignancy
* Concurrent hormone replacement therapy allowed

Radiotherapy

* See Disease Characteristics
* Recovered from prior radiotherapy
* No prior radiotherapy to \> 25% of bone marrow-bearing areas

Surgery

* More than 30 days since prior major surgery and recovered

  * Diagnostic biopsy not considered major surgery

Other

* At least 3 weeks since other prior therapy for the malignancy
* No prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors that target the EGFR pathway
* No prior cancer treatment that would preclude study treatment
* No other concurrent investigational agents