RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Peripheral stem cell transplantation may be able to replace immune cells that were destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy used to kill tumor cells. It is not yet known whether chemotherapy alone is more effective than chemotherapy plus peripheral stem cell transplantation for ovarian epithelial cancer.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of paclitaxel and carboplatin with that of carboplatin, mitoxantrone, and cyclophosphamide followed by peripheral stem cell transplantation in treating patients who have persistent stage III or stage IV ovarian epithelial cancer.

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare progression-free and overall survival of patients with drug-sensitive, low-volume ovarian cancer that is persistent following standard therapy treated with salvage therapy comprising standard-dose paclitaxel and carboplatin vs high-dose carboplatin, mitoxantrone, and cyclophosphamide followed by bone marrow reconstitution. II. Compare the toxic effects of these two salvage regimens. III. Compare selected health-related aspects of quality of life in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified by participating center and disease state at reassessment laparotomy. Patients are randomized to one of two treatment arms. Arm I: Patients receive paclitaxel IV over 3 hours on day 1 and carboplatin IV continuously on days 1-5 every 3 weeks for a total of 6 courses. Arm II: Patients receive cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour and mitoxantrone IV over 15 minutes on days -8, -6, and -4, and carboplatin IV continuously on days -8 through -4, followed by rescue with autologous bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells on day 0. Quality of life is assessed at baseline, at 3 and 9 weeks after starting treatment, and every 3 months for an additional 5 assessments regardless of disease progression.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 275 patients will be accrued over approximately 60 months.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed stage III or IV ovarian epithelial carcinoma including the following cellular diagnoses: Serous adenocarcinoma Mucinous adenocarcinoma Endometrioid adenocarcinoma Clear cell adenocarcinoma Undifferentiated carcinoma Mixed epithelial carcinoma Transitional cell carcinoma Malignant Brenner's Tumor Stage III (optimal or suboptimal) must be surgically reassessed OR Stage III (suboptimal) or stage IV clinically reassessed after induction chemotherapy For stage III surgical reassessment: No more than 12 weeks between end of chemotherapy and reassessment surgery AND No more than 6 weeks between reassessment surgery and randomization Patients treated on protocol GOG-158 are eligible At least a partial response to chemotherapy as defined as: Microscopic disease documented at reassessment surgery for patients optimally debulked (disease no greater than 1 cm) after primary surgery Suboptimally debulked disease (greater than 1 cm) after primary surgery and 1 of the following: Negative reassessment laparotomy Only microscopic disease at reassessment surgery Gross residual disease no greater than 1 cm at reassessment surgery prior to debulking Clinical complete response to induction chemotherapy including: - suboptimal disease Stage III or IV AND - either an abnormal CT or elevated CA-125 prior to induction chemotherapy and both are within normal limits following induction chemotherapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Under 66 Performance status: GOG 0 or 1 Hematopoietic: Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,000/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL AST no greater than 3 times normal Renal: Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min Cardiovascular: Left ventricular ejection fraction at least 45% by MUGA No congestive heart failure Pulmonary: FEV1 and FVC at least 60% Other: Not pregnant or nursing Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception No prior malignancy in the past 5 years except adequately treated nonmelanomatous skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or any other cancer whose prior treatment does not contraindicate this study

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: See Disease Characteristics At least 4 and no more than 6 prior platinum-based combination chemotherapy courses (i.e., cisplatin or carboplatin) required Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: Not specified Surgery: See Disease Characteristics Other: No prior anthracyclines