Vorinostat in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Persistent Ovarian Epithelial or Primary Peritoneal Cavity Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologically confirmed ovarian epithelial or primary peritoneal cavity cancer
* Recurrent or persistent disease

  * Disease progression during OR persistent disease after completion of 1 prior platinum-based chemotherapy regimen (containing carboplatin, cisplatin, or other organoplatinum compound) for primary disease

    * Initial treatment may have included high-dose, consolidation, noncytotoxic agents, or extended therapy administered after surgical or non-surgical assessment
    * Treatment-free interval after completion of platinum-based chemotherapy must have been \< 12 months
* Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable target\* lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques (e.g., palpation, plain x-ray, CT scan, or MRI) OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan
* Not eligible for a higher priority GOG protocol (i.e., any active phase III GOG protocol for the same patient population)
* No known brain metastases
* Performance status - GOG 0-1
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* SGOT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* No symptomatic congestive heart failure
* No unstable angina pectoris
* No cardiac arrhythmia
* Able to take oral medication
* No bowel obstruction
* No persistent vomiting
* No parenteral feeding
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 1 month after completion of study treatment
* No neuropathy (sensory and motor) \> grade 1
* No other invasive malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer
* No active infection requiring antibiotics
* No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
* No history of allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to vorinostat
* No other uncontrolled illness
* At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy for the malignancy
* At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) for the malignancy and recovered
* No more than 2 prior cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens for recurrent or persistent disease
* No prior non-cytotoxic chemotherapy for recurrent or persistent disease, unless therapy was part of the primary treatment regimen
* No prior vorinostat
* At least 1 week since prior hormonal therapy for the malignancy
* Concurrent hormone replacement therapy allowed
* At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy for the malignancy and recovered
* No prior radiotherapy to \> 25% of bone marrow
* At least 4 weeks since prior surgery for the malignancy and recovered
* At least 4 weeks since other prior therapy for the malignancy
* At least 30 days since prior and no concurrent valproic acid
* Concurrent oral anticoagulants (i.e., warfarin) allowed provided there is increased vigilance with respect to monitoring PT/INR for the first 2 courses of study therapy or if there are any signs of bleeding
* No prior anticancer therapy that would preclude study participation
* No concurrent combination anti-retroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
* No other concurrent investigational agents