Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or pathologically confirmed ovarian epithelial, primary peritoneal, or
fallopian tube cancer

- No mixed mullerian and borderline ovarian tumors

- Surgically staged as stage III or IV at initial diagnosis

- Must meet one of the following criteria for refractory/relapsed disease:

- Relapsed within 6 months after completing front-line concurrent or sequential
platinum (either cisplatin or carboplatin) and taxane (paclitaxel or docetaxel)
chemotherapy

- Had a best response of increasing disease during this front-line regimen

- Consolidation chemotherapy and reinduction therapy are counted as part of
the front-line regimen

- Unidimensionally measurable disease

- At least 2 cm by medical photograph (skin or oral lesion), palpation, plain
x-ray, CT scan, MRI, or other conventional technique (bone lesions not included)

- At least 1 cm by spiral CT scan

- Measurable disease must remain outside of radiotherapy field

- If the tumor is known to be KIT (CD117) or PDGFR positive, patient must be offered
SWOG-S0211 if available

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- Not specified

Performance status

- Zubrod 0-2

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- Not specified

Hepatic

- Not specified

Renal

- Not specified

Cardiovascular

- No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

- No angina pectoris

- No uncontrolled congestive heart failure

- No uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except for the following:

- Adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer

- Carcinoma in situ of the cervix

- Adequately treated stage I or II cancer from which the patient is currently in
complete remission

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- No more than 1 prior biological response modifier

- At least 28 days since prior biological response modifier and recovered

Chemotherapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- No prior topotecan or other topoisomerase I inhibitor

- One other additional prior chemotherapy regimen allowed

- At least 28 days since prior chemotherapy (14 days for weekly chemotherapy) and
recovered

Endocrine therapy

- Prior hormonal therapy allowed

- No concurrent hormonal therapy

Radiotherapy

- At least 28 days since prior radiotherapy and recovered

- No prior radiotherapy to more than 25% of bone marrow

- No concurrent palliative radiotherapy

Surgery

- At least 14 days since prior major surgery and recovered

Other

- At least 28 days since prior investigational drugs and recovered

- No other concurrent antitumor therapy