Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Surgery in Treating Patients With Stage III Ovarian Epithelial Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed primary ovarian epithelial cancer Stage III disease, i.e.: Greater than 1 cm residual intraperitoneal disease following exploratory laparotomy with maximum debulking Laparoscopic resection alone insufficient The following histologies are eligible: Serous adenocarcinoma Transitional cell carcinoma Mucinous adenocarcinoma Undifferentiated carcinoma Clear cell adenocarcinoma Mixed epithelial carcinoma Adenocarcinoma Endometrioid tumor Adenocarcinoma NOS Malignant Brenner's tumor No unclassified ovarian cancer (i.e., unexplored tumors thought to be of ovarian origin or tumors not verified as arising from ovarian stroma) No borderline (grade 0) or "probably malignant" carcinoma Measurable disease preferred Patients eligible for this protocol are also eligible for protocol GOG-136

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Any age Performance status: GOG 0-2 Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3,000/mm3 Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no more than 1.5 times normal ALT, AST, and GGT no more than 3 times normal Alkaline phosphatase no more than 3 times normal LDH no more than 3 times normal Renal: Creatinine no more than 2.0 mg/dL Cardiovascular: No history of congestive heart failure No myocardial infarction within 6 months No unstable angina Other: No septicemia or severe infection No acute hepatitis No severe gastrointestinal bleeding No second malignancy within 5 years except nonmelanomatous skin cancer Not pregnant or nursing Effective contraception required of fertile patients

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: No prior radiotherapy Surgery: See Disease Characteristics No more than 6 weeks since staging surgery