Gemcitabine and Docetaxel in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Ovarian Epithelial or Peritoneal Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed ovarian epithelial or peritoneal cavity cancer
• Relapsed or refractory disease after prior first-line therapy with a platinum-containing regimen
• * Platinum-sensitive or -resistant disease
• * Platinum resistance is defined as relapsed or progressive disease within 6 months after completion of a platinum-containing regimen
• Measurable or evaluable disease
• * Evaluable disease is defined as CA 125 \> 70 U/mL that has doubled from a baseline determination confirmed by ≥ 2 separate blood samples taken \> 4 weeks apart OR other evidence demonstrating progressive disease after initial treatment regimen
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin normal
• Meets 1 of the following criteria:
• * AST or ALT normal AND alkaline phosphatase (AP) ≤ 5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• * AST or ALT ≤ 1.5 times ULN AND AP ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• * AST or ALT ≤ 5 times ULN AND AP normal
• Renal
• Creatinine clearance \> 30 mL/min
• Creatinine \< 2.5 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular
• No congestive heart failure
• No second or third degree heart block
• No myocardial infarction within the past 3 months
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No peripheral neuropathy \> grade 1
• No other malignancy within the past 2 years except adequately treated skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No history of severe hypersensitivity reaction to drugs formulated with polysorbate 80
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• Prior paclitaxel allowed
• No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen
• * First-line platinum-based chemotherapy followed by consolidation therapy in the setting of a clinical and serologic complete response is considered 1 regimen
• No prior gemcitabine or docetaxel
• Endocrine therapy
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• Surgery
• Not specified
• Other
• More than 28 days since prior and no other concurrent investigational drugs for this cancer
• No other concurrent treatment or alternative therapy for this cancer