Erlotinib, Docetaxel, and Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Stage III or Stage IV Ovarian Epithelial, Primary Peritoneal Cavity, or Fallopian Tube Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed ovarian epithelial, primary peritoneal cavity, or fallopian tube cancer

  • Stage III or IV disease

• The following histologic epithelial cell types are allowed:

  • Serous adenocarcinoma
  • Mucinous adenocarcinoma
  • Clear cell adenocarcinoma
  • Endometrioid adenocarcinoma
  • Mixed epithelial carcinoma
  • Undifferentiated carcinoma
  • Transitional cell carcinoma
  • Malignant Brenner tumor
  • Adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified
• Must have undergone appropriate surgery for ovarian epithelial, primary peritoneal cavity, or fallopian tube cancer within the past 6 weeks
• No borderline ovarian tumor of low malignant potential

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• GOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3

Hepatic

• Bilirubin normal

• Meets 1 of the following criteria:

  • Alkaline phosphatase (AP) normal AND AST or ALT ≤ 5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • AP ≤ 2.5 times ULN AND AST or ALT ≤ 1.5 times ULN
  • AP ≤ 5 times ULN AND AST or ALT normal
• No hepatic disease that would preclude study participation

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• Creatinine clearance > 50 mL/min
• No renal disease that would preclude study participation

Cardiovascular

• LVEF ≥ lower limit of normal*
• No poorly controlled arrhythmia
• No unstable coronary artery disease
• No myocardial infarction within the past year NOTE: *LVEF evaluation performed only on patients requiring it

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 3 months after completion of study treatment
• No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
• No other nonmalignant systemic disease that would preclude study participation
• No history of severe hypersensitivity reaction to docetaxel or other drugs formulated with polysorbate 80
• No medical, social, or psychosocial factor that would preclude study participation
• No psychiatric or addictive disorder that would preclude giving informed consent
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix or breast

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No prior immunotherapy for this malignancy

Chemotherapy

• No prior chemotherapy for this malignancy

Endocrine therapy

• No prior hormonal therapy for this malignancy

Radiotherapy

• No prior radiotherapy for this malignancy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics

• No planned interval cytoreductive surgery

  • Second-look surgery allowed

Other

• More than 1 year since prior experimental or investigational therapy
• No concurrent therapeutic anticoagulation with warfarin