Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed ovarian epithelial, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube
cancer meeting 1 of the following criteria:

- High-risk stage I disease, as defined by grade 3, aneuploid grade 1 or 2, or
clear cell disease

- Stage II, III, or IV disease

- Completed first-line therapy within the past 6 weeks

- Received a platinum derivative (carboplatin or cisplatin) alone or in
combination with other agents for 6-9 courses

- Must have achieved complete response/no evidence of disease, partial response,
or stabilization of disease after therapy

- No adenocarcinoma of unknown origin

- No known brain metastases or leptomeningeal disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Performance status

- ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

- WBC ≥ 2,000/mm^3

Hepatic

- AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (≤ 5 times ULN in patients with
known liver metastases)

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN

- Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times ULN except in patients with known bone metastases

- PT and PTT ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Renal

- Creatinine ≤ 2 times ULN

Cardiovascular

- No myocardial infarction within past 6 months

- No second- or third-degree heart block without pacemaker

Gastrointestinal

- No active peptic ulcer disease

- No gastrointestinal tract disease that would interfere with ability to take oral
medications, affect absorption, or require parenteral nutrition

- No uncontrolled inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn's disease or ulcerative
colitis)

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No significant dermatologic disease

- No inflammatory changes to the surface of the eye

- No history of allergic reaction to compounds of similar chemical composition as
erlotinib

- No other significant medical condition or neurologic or psychiatric disorder

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or
squamous cell skin cancer or cone-biopsied carcinoma in situ of the cervix

- No psychiatric illness or familial, geographic, or social situation that would
preclude study compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- No prior therapy targeting epidermal growth factor receptor

- No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- See Surgery

- No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

- No concurrent hormonal therapy

Radiotherapy

- No prior radiotherapy unless completed more than 5 years ago AND outside the
abdomen/pelvis

Surgery

- Interval debulking surgery after 3 courses of chemotherapy and second-look surgery at
the end of chemotherapy allowed as per study EORTC-55971/NCIC OV13/Chorus

Other

- No other prior or concurrent investigational agents

- No other concurrent anticancer treatment

- Concurrent participation in study EORTC-55971/NCIC-OV13/Chorus allowed