Paclitaxel, Polyglutamate Paclitaxel, or Observation in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Ovarian Epithelial, Peritoneal Cancer, or Fallopian Tube Cancer

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine whether CT-2103 (polyglutamate paclitaxel) or paclitaxel, administered to women with advanced ovarian, primary peritoneal or fallopian tube cancer who have attained a clinically-defined complete response to primary platinum/taxane-based chemotherapy ("consolidation/maintenance therapy") will reduce the death rate, compared to re-treatment at the time of documented disease progression. II. To determine if, in this clinical setting, CT-2103 produces a more favorable toxicity profile (with a particular focus on peripheral neuropathy as measured by the Gynecologic Oncology Group \[GOG\] NTX4) and superior quality-of-life (as measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Ovarian \[FACT-O\]), compared to paclitaxel. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To explore the relationship between expression of several of the angiogenic markers and overall survival or progression-free survival in patients randomized to CT-2103, paclitaxel, or no treatment. II. To assess the association among the various tissue and serum markers of angiogenesis, and compare the ability of different combinations of these markers to predict patient outcome including overall survival and progression-free survival in patients randomized to CT-2103, paclitaxel, or no treatment. III. To bank deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from whole blood for research and evaluate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and measures of clinical outcome including overall survival, progression-free survival and adverse events. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 3 treatment arms. ARM I: Patients receive polyglutamate paclitaxel intravenously (IV) over 10-20 minutes on day 1. ARM II: Patients receive paclitaxel IV over 3 hours on day 1. ARM III: Patients receive no further anticancer treatment until evidence of disease progression. In arms I and II, treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 12 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for 10 years.