Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed intraabdominal cancer

- Diffuse abdominal carcinomatosis Chemotherapy refractory advanced stage ovarian
cancer

- Measurable disease

- Residual, recurrent, or metastatic disease beyond the scope of standard curative
therapy

- Extension of disease to sites distant to the peritoneal cavity allowed
Retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy allowed as long as there is evaluable intraabdominal
disease

- No history of progressive brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Age: 18 and over

- Performance status: Karnofsky 70-100%

- Hemoglobin greater than 9 g/dL

- WBC greater than 3,000/mm3

- Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm3

- Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL

- ALT less than 100 U/L

- Creatinine clearance greater than 60 mL/min

- Normal electrocardiogram

- No recent history of cardiac ischemia

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- Hepatitis B negative

- No evidence of clinical immunodeficiency syndromes or immunodeficiency associated
diseases

- No history of autoimmune disease

- No concurrent major illness

- No serious infection requiring intravenous antibiotics

- No active peptic ulcer disease

- Must have free flow of fluid into the peritoneal space

- No leakage from the catheter exit site

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- At least 3 weeks since prior biologic therapy (6 weeks for interleukin-2)

- No prior recombinant human interleukin-12

- At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas)

- No concurrent systemic chemotherapy

- No concurrent systemic corticosteroids

- No prior radiation therapy to the whole abdomen

- No concurrent radiotherapy

- At least 3 weeks since prior exposure to any investigational drug

- No concurrent investigational drug