DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically proven primary peritoneal carcinoma or optimal (no greater than 1 cm residual disease) stage III epithelial ovarian carcinoma with the following epithelial cell types: Serous adenocarcinoma Endometrioid adenocarcinoma Mucinous adenocarcinoma Undifferentiated carcinoma Clear cell adenocarcinoma Mixed epithelial carcinoma Transitional cell carcinoma Malignant Brenner's Tumor Adenocarcinoma NOS Prior surgery for ovarian/peritoneal carcinoma required No epithelial ovarian carcinoma of low malignant potential (borderline carcinoma)