Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed colon adenocarcinoma meeting the following
criteria:

- Newly diagnosed disease

- Advanced disease

- Confirmed synchronous or metachronous limited peritoneal disease dissemination

- No appendiceal or rectal cancer

- No signet ring cell type

- Disease amenable to complete cytoreduction surgery as indicated by:

- Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI) ≤ 20 by helical CT scan and/or staging laparoscopy

- No parenchymal hepatic metastases

- No clinical (jaundice), biochemical (abnormally elevated serum bilirubin and/or
alkaline phosphatase), or radiological (by ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI) biliary
obstruction

- No symptomatic malignant ascites requiring palliative paracentesis

- Small volume of disease in the gastro-hepatic ligament defined by a < 5 cm mass
in the epigastric region on cross-sectional imaging

- No cross-sectional imaging findings indicative of multi-segmental (> 1 site)
small bowel obstruction, small bowel loops matted together, or gross disease of
the small bowel mesentery characterized by distortion, thickening, or loss of
mesenteric vascular clarity

- No clinical or radiological evidence of hematogenous or distant nodal
(retroperitoneal, pelvic, mediastinal, peri-portal, or peri-aortic) metastasis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG performance status 0-1

- ANC > 1,200/mm³

- WBC > 4,000/mm³

- Platelet count 150,000/mm³

- INR ≤ 1.5

- Patients on therapeutic anticoagulant for unrelated medical condition such as
atrial fibrillation or anti-thrombocyte treatment allowed provided treatment can
be withheld for operation

- Total serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL (> 1.5 mg/dL for patients with Gilbert syndrome)

- Alkaline phosphatase < 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- AST < 1.5 times ULN

- Serum creatinine normal

- BUN normal

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No history of severe congestive heart failure or severe pulmonary disease

- Patients who are status post-revascularization procedures with satisfactory
cardiac function are eligible

- No acute myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

- No significant history of a medical problem or co-morbidity (e.g., severe congestive
heart failure or active ischemic heart disease) that would preclude a major abdominal
operation

- No concurrent second malignancy requiring systemic therapy

- No psychiatric or addictive disorders, or other conditions that would preclude the
patient from meeting the study requirements

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics

- No prior second-line systemic treatment for metastatic colon adenocarcinoma

- Patients who received prior adjuvant therapy for colon adenocarcinoma and/or
prior first-line systemic therapy for metastatic colon adenocarcinoma are
eligible