Gemcitabine and Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Persistent or Recurrent Ovarian Epithelial Cancer, Primary Peritoneal Cancer, or Fallopian Tube Cancer That Responded to Previous Cisplatin or Carboplatin

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