Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Any of the following:

- Patients who have had gynecologic tissue removed during surgery to diagnosis,
treat, monitor, and/or prevent primary, persistent, or recurrent gynecologic
cancer of the ovary, peritoneum, fallopian tube, cervix, uterine corpus, vagina,
or vulva, meeting at least one of the following criteria:

- Group A: Women who underwent surgery, were diagnosed with a primary
gynecologic malignancy of the ovary, cervix, uterine corpus, or vulva, and
have primary tumor, normal tissue, and blood available for submission for
this protocol

- Patients with ovarian cancer including all stages, grades, and common
epithelial cell types

- Invasive cancers and serous and mucinous borderline tumors of low
malignant potential are allowed

- At least 1 gram of frozen primary tumor tissue must be submitted
for this protocol for patients with FIGO stage III or IV
epithelial ovarian cancer

- Patients with an invasive malignancy of the cervix or uterine corpus
including all stages, grades, and common cell types

- Patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva

- Group B: Women who underwent surgery and were diagnosed with a rare
gynecologic malignancy of the ovary, peritoneum, fallopian tube, cervix,
uterine corpus, vagina, vulva, a gestational trophoblastic tumor, or a
tumor arising in endometriosis, and have tumor tissue available for
submission for this protocol

- Patients with a rare gynecologic malignancy of the ovary including
malignant germ cell tumors; sex cord-stromal tumors; malignant mixed
mesodermal tumors; clear cell, mucinous, small cell, or transitional
cell carcinomas; malignant Brenner tumors; or borderline tumors of low
malignant potential (except serous and mucinous)

- Patients with a rare gynecologic malignancy of the peritoneum,
including primary peritoneal cancer or mesothelioma

- Patients with carcinoma of the fallopian tube

- Patients with a rare gynecologic malignancy of the cervix including
verrucous, small cell, clear cell, serous, or adenoid cystic
carcinomas; carcinoid tumors; malignant mixed mesodermal tumors; or
leiomyosarcoma

- Patients with a rare gynecologic malignancy of the uterine corpus
including leiomyosarcoma; malignant mixed mesodermal tumors;
endometrial stromal sarcomas; smooth muscle tumors of unknown
malignant potential; or clear cell or small cell carcinomas

- Patients with a rare gynecologic malignancy of the vagina including
verrucous or clear cell carcinomas; melanoma; embryonal
rhabdomyosarcoma; or endodermal sinus tumor

- Patients with a rare gynecologic malignancy of the vulva including
verrucous carcinoma; melanoma; aggressive angiomyxoma; sarcoma;
malignant Paget's disease; or Bartholin gland carcinoma

- Patients with a gestational trophoblastic tumor

- Patients with a tumor arising in endometriosis

- Group C: Women who underwent prophylactic oophorectomy and have at least 1
gram of ovarian tissue and blood available for submission for this protocol

- Group D: Women who underwent surgery to monitor or treat a persistent or
recurrent gynecologic malignancy of the ovary, peritoneum, fallopian tube,
cervix, uterine corpus, vagina, or vulva, and have persistent or recurrent
tumor, normal tissue, and blood available for submission for this protocol

- Concurrent primary cancers are allowed

- No benign cystic tumors of the ovary, including cystic epithelial tumors and mature
cystic teratomas

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Chemotherapy:

- Prior cytotoxic chemotherapy allowed

Endocrine therapy:

- Prior hormonal therapy allowed

Radiotherapy:

- Prior radiotherapy allowed

Surgery:

- Prior surgery allowed

- No more than 6 weeks after prior surgery