Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Stage IC-IV Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, or Primary Peritoneal Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed ovarian epithelial, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer\* * Stage IC-IV disease * Peritoneal carcinomatosis\* (ovarian-type) must not be a mucin-secreting tumor * Stage IC patients must have malignant cells in ascitic fluid or peritoneal washings, tumor on the surface of the ovary, or preoperative capsule rupture NOTE: \* Histologic confirmation of a primary source in the ovary is not required. * If biospy is not available, cytology showing an adenocarcinoma is allowed provided the following criteria is met: * Patient has a pelvis (ovarian) mass AND all of the following: * Omental cake or other metastasis is larger than 2 cm in the upper abdomen and/or regional lymph node metastasis irrespective of size OR stage IV disease * Serum CA 125/CEA ratio \> 25 or barium enema (or colonoscopy) and gastroscopy (or radiological examination of the stomach) are negative for the presence of a primary tumor and normal mammography within 6 weeks prior to study randomization * Initial cytoreductive laparotomy or biopsy required within the past 8 weeks * Cytoreductive surgery may or may not have been successful during staging laparotomy * No mixed mesodermal tumors * No borderline ovarian tumors or tumors termed "possibly malignant" * No adenocarcinoma of unknown origin, if histologically confirmed to be a mucin-secreting tumor * Considered unsuitable for or unwilling to receive platinum-taxane combination therapy * No concurrent endometrial cancer PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Performance status * ECOG 0-3 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic * Bilirubin normal * AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times ULN Renal * Creatinine clearance ≥ 30 mL/min * Obstructive hydronephrosis as a cause of borderline (i.e., creatinine clearance 30-45 mL/min) renal function must be treated before study entry Cardiovascular * No hypertension * No ischemic heart disease * No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months * No congestive heart failure Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No symptomatic peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2 * No uncontrolled infection * No other severe and/or uncontrolled medical condition * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal cell skin cancer PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * Not specified Chemotherapy * No prior chemotherapy * No other concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy until progressive disease occurs Endocrine therapy * Not specified Radiotherapy * No prior radiotherapy Surgery * See Disease Characteristics