Intraperitoneal Hyperthermic Perfusion With Oxaliplatin in Treating Patients With Stage IV Peritoneal Cancer Due to Appendix Cancer or Colorectal Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed colorectal or appendiceal cancer

  * Stage IV disease
  * Peritoneal surface dissemination of disease (peritoneal carcinomatosis)
* Measurable disease according to RECIST criteria
* No active CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-2
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance \> 60 mL/min
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST and ALT ≤ 3 times ULN
* No active infection or fever ≥ 101.3°F within the past 3 days
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated basal cell skin cancer, cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia, or localized prostate cancer with a current prostate-specific antigen of \< 1.0 mg/dL on 2 successive evaluations, ≥ 3 months apart, with the last evaluation within the past 4 weeks
* No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
* No other medical condition, mental illness, or substance abuse that, in the opinion of the principal investigator, would preclude study compliance
* No known hypersensitivity to any component of oxaliplatin
* No known HIV positivity
* No hepatitis B or C positivity (active, previously treated, or both)
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients and their partners must use effective contraception during and for 90 days after completion of study treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* Recovered from prior surgery, radiotherapy, and other anticancer therapies
* More than 30 days since prior and no other concurrent investigational therapy
* No prior radiotherapy to \> 25% of bone marrow
* No prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation
* No concurrent antiretroviral therapy