Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed ovarian epithelial, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal
cancer OR

- Histologically confirmed ovarian low malignant potential tumor with invasive
recurrence

- Relapsed after and/or refractory to platinum- and taxane-based chemotherapy

- Patients in first relapse after a disease-free interval of more than 1 year are
eligible

- Measurable disease outside prior radiation field

- Availability of a sentinel lesion that is adequate for core biopsy through
percutaneous biopsy or simple laparoscopic means

- Patients with clinical evidence of CNS involvement (abnormal clinical examination)
must have a negative CT scan with contrast or MRI of the brain

- No large volume ascites or pleural effusion

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- Not specified

Performance status:

- ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

- Not specified

Hematopoietic:

- WBC at least 3,000/mm^3

- Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm^3

- Hemoglobin at least 9.0 g/dL (independent of epoetin alfa or transfusion)

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

- Transaminases no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

- Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

- No myocardial infarction or unstable dysrhythmia within the past 6 months

- No congestive heart failure (CHF), including CHF that may be compensated with
furosemide

Other:

- No other invasive malignancy within the past 5 years except noninvasive nonmelanoma
skin cancer

- No active infection

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception during and for 3 months
after study completion

- Concurrent residual, stable, grade 2 or lower peripheral neuropathy allowed at the
discretion of the principal investigator (PI)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- At least 4 weeks since prior signal transduction therapy

Chemotherapy:

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for mitomycin or carboplatin)

Endocrine therapy:

- At least 4 weeks since prior hormonal therapy

Radiotherapy:

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery:

- See Disease Characteristics

Other:

- Recovered from prior anticancer therapy

- At least 1 week since prior antibiotics

- No more than 4 prior anticancer regimens

- No concurrent ketoconazole, itraconazole, erythromycin, or clarithromycin

- No concurrent therapeutic warfarin

- Patients who can be safely converted over to low molecular weight heparin are
eligible

- No concurrent grapefruit or grapefruit juice

- No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients

- No concurrent alternative or complementary therapies or over-the-counter agents
unless approved by the PI

- Concurrent medications that may alter the metabolism of imatinib mesylate and lead to
potential toxicity are allowed at the discretion of the PI