Propranolol Hydrochloride and Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Ovarian, Primary Peritoneal, or Fallopian Tube Cancer

Patients with non-epithelial ovarian tumors that do not require adjuvant chemotherapy, borderline epithelial ovarian tumor, or recurrent invasive epithelial ovarian, low grade ovarian cancer, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer treated with surgery only (such as patients with stage IA or IB); patients with a prior diagnosis of a borderline tumor that was surgically resected and who subsequently develop an unrelated new invasive epithelial ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer are eligible, provided that they have not received chemotherapy for any tumor; no stromal cancers or germ cell cancers or low malignant potential; patients found post operatively to have ineligible histology will be removed from the study

Patients who have received prior radiotherapy to any portion of the abdominal cavity or pelvis are excluded; prior radiation therapy for localized cancer of the breast, head and neck, or skin is permitted provided that it was completed more than 3 years prior to registration, and the patient remains free of recurrent or metastatic disease

Patients with a synchronous primary endometrial cancer, or a past history of primary endometrial cancer are excluded unless all of the following conditions are met: stage not greater than stage IA; no more than superficial myometrial invasion, without vascular or lymphatic invasion; no poorly differentiated subtypes, including papillary serous, clear cell, or other International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) grade 3 lesions

Patients who have received targeted therapy (including but not limited to vaccines, antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors) or hormonal therapy for management of their primary peritoneal, ovarian, or fallopian tube cancer

With the exception of non-melanoma skin cancer and other specific malignancies as noted above, patients with other invasive malignancies who had (or have) any evidence of the other cancer present within the last five years or whose previous cancer treatment contraindicates this protocol therapy are excluded

Metastases to the ovaries from other organs except fallopian tube or primary peritoneal carcinoma

Use of systemic glucocorticoids such as prednisone or Decadron in the last month

Inability to accurately answer questions (e.g. dementia, brain metastases) or speak English or Spanish

Cirrhosis of the liver

Patients with a Zubrod performance status 3 or 4

Comorbid conditions: Addison's disease, autoimmune hepatitis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), lupus erythematosus, mixed connective tissue disease, rheumatoid arthritis

Any patients already on beta-blockers or contraindicated to receive beta-blockers

Hypersensitivity to propranolol, or beta-blockers

Uncompensated congestive heart failure

Cardiogenic shock

Severe sinus bradycardia; heart block, second or third degree or sick sinus syndrome (if no artificial pacemaker present)

Severe hyperactive airway disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma)

Any patients planning to receive Avastin or any other anti-angiogenic drugs

Patients with brittle diabetes mellitus (DM); brittle diabetes mellitus is a type of diabetes when a person's blood glucose (sugar) level often swings quickly from high to low and from low to high; also called "unstable diabetes" or "labile diabetes"

What this study is about