Cetuximab and Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Recurrent Ovarian Epithelial Cancer or Primary Peritoneal Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed ovarian epithelial or primary peritoneal cancer

  • Recurrent disease

• Measurable disease

  • At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques, including palpation, plain x-ray, CT scan, or MRI OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan
  • Target lesion not within previously irradiated field

• Received 1 prior platinum-based chemotherapy regimen for primary disease containing carboplatin, cisplatin, or other organoplatinum compound

  • Initial treatment may have included high-dose, consolidation, or extended therapy administered after surgical or non-surgical assessment
  • Patients who had not received prior paclitaxel therapy may have received a second regimen that included paclitaxel

• Platinum-sensitive disease

  • Treatment-free interval without clinical evidence of progressive disease for more than 6 months after response to a prior platinum-based regimen
  • If there is another concurrently active GOG-0146 series protocol (non-platinum-based therapy), must have had a treatment-free interval of more than 12 months unless ineligible for the other protocol* NOTE: *Applies whether or not both protocols are available at the same participating center
• Must have available tissue block or unstained sections from primary tumor, interval debulking, or secondary debulking
• Not eligible for a higher priority GOG protocol (i.e., any active phase III GOG protocol for the same patient population)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• GOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular

• No uncontrolled hypertension
• No unstable angina
• No congestive heart failure
• No uncontrolled arrhythmias within the past 6 months
• No other significant cardiac disease

Neurologic

• No uncontrolled seizure disorder
• No active neurological disease
• No neuropathy > grade 1

Other

• No other invasive malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer
• No active infection requiring antibiotics
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No prior anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody therapy
• No prior chimerized or murine monoclonal antibody therapy
• At least 3 weeks since prior biologic or immunologic therapy for the malignancy

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior chemotherapy
• No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy for recurrent disease, including retreatment with initial chemotherapy regimens

Endocrine therapy

• At least 1 week since prior hormonal therapy for the malignancy
• Concurrent hormone replacement therapy allowed

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior radiotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy to > 25% of bone marrow-bearing areas

Surgery

• More than 30 days since prior major surgery and recovered

  • Diagnostic biopsy not considered major surgery

Other

• At least 3 weeks since other prior therapy for the malignancy
• No prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors that target the EGFR pathway
• No prior cancer treatment that would preclude study treatment
• No other concurrent investigational agents