Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically proven, advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.

Histologic confirmation by Pathology Department, NIH, required.

Recurrent disease after paclitaxel and either cisplatin or carboplatin. Combination
platinum/paclitaxel acceptable.

Bidimensionally measurable disease on physical exam, radiographs, or peritoneoscopy.
Repeat peritoneoscopy after 8 courses of therapy required if documentation of disease was
solely by peritoneoscopy.

Laparotomy not required.

No CNS metastasis.

No borderline or mixed histology.

PRIOR/CONCURRENT THERAPY:

See Disease Characteristics.

More than 4 weeks since any prior therapy and recovered.

No prior camptothecin analogue-based chemotherapy.

No prior radiotherapy except intraperitoneal 32-P.

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age: 18 and over.

Performance status: ECOG 0-2.

Hematopoietic:

WBC greater than 3,000.

AGC greater than 1,500.

Platelets at least 100,000.

Hemoglobin greater than 9 g/dL OR;

Hematocrit greater than 27 g/dL.

Hepatic:

Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL.

Serum transaminases no greater than 2 times normal.

Renal:

24-hour creatinine clearance greater than 45 mL/min (documented by NCI investigator or
primary care physician).

Cardiovascular:

No myocardial infarction within 12 months.

No active congestive heart failure.

No heart block.

No arrhythmia requiring medication.

OTHER:

No active uncontrolled infection.

No known HIV positivity.

No second malignancy currently under treatment except: Local basal cell carcinoma of the
skin, Cervical carcinoma in situ, Other malignancies (e.g., stage I breast cancer)
eligible at the discretion of the principal or associate investigators.

No pregnant women.