Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Whole-Body Hyperthermia in Treating Patients With Recurrent Ovarian Epithelial, Fallopian Tube, or Peritoneal Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed ovarian epithelial, fallopian tube, or extraovarian peritoneal cancer

  • Recurrent disease (any FIGO stage)
  • Not amenable to curative surgery or radiotherapy alone
• Failed prior primary platinum-based therapy at least 6 months after therapy discontinuation

• Measurable lesion by CT scan, MRI, chest x-ray, or sonography

  • Physical examination allowed for documenting lymph node and skin metastases
  • Physical gynecological examination allowed for well-defined palpable tumor lesions
  • Increase in CA 125 without any measurable tumor is not acceptable as indication of recurrence
• No CNS metastases
• No tumor of borderline malignancy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 to 65

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• At least 24 weeks

Hematopoietic

• Neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3

Hepatic

• Not specified

Renal

• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
• No chronic or acute renal failure

Cardiovascular

• Cardiovascular function sufficient for hyperthermia treatment by stress-ECG
• No cardiomyopathy with impaired ventricular function
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
• No cardiac arrhythmias influencing LVEF and requiring medication
• No myocardial infarction or angina pectoris within the past 6 months
• No uncontrolled arterial hypertension

Pulmonary

• Pulmonary function sufficient for hyperthermia treatment by pulmonary function tests

Other

• No untreated endocrinological disease (e.g., hyperthyroidism or diabetes mellitus)
• No other primary malignancy except carcinoma in situ of the cervix or adequately treated basal cell skin cancer
• No contraindication against hyperthermia treatment (e.g., photodermatosis, history of malignant hyperthermia, or claustrophobia)
• No hypersensitivity to carboplatin, ifosfamide, or any other study medication
• Not pregnant or nursing

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Not specified

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent cytotoxic or other antineoplastic therapy

Endocrine therapy

• Concurrent hormone replacement therapy allowed
• Concurrent steroid antiemetics allowed

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 1 year since prior radiotherapy (tumoricidal dose) of the pelvis
• Concurrent palliative local radiotherapy for painful (nonprogressive) existing lesion is allowed if other measurable sites are present
• No concurrent radiotherapy to a second existing lesion

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics

Other

• No prior form of hyperthermic therapy
• At least 3 weeks since other medications as part of another clinical study
• At least 3 weeks since prior investigational agents
• At least 6 weeks since prior betablockers
• No concurrent photosensitizing drugs
• No concurrent betablockers
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy