RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of docetaxel in treating patients with recurrent or refractory ovarian or primary peritoneal cancer.

OBJECTIVES: I. Estimate the antitumor activity of docetaxel in patients with paclitaxel- and platinum-resistant, recurrent or refractory, ovarian epithelial or primary peritoneal cancer who have failed on higher priority treatment protocols. II. Determine the nature and degree of toxicity of docetaxel in this patient population.

OUTLINE: Patients receive docetaxel as a 1 hour continuous intravenous infusion. Courses are repeated every 21 days. Treatment continues in the absence of unacceptable toxic effects or disease progression. All patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 3 years, and then until death.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 23-56 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed recurrent or refractory ovarian epithelial or peritoneal cancer Platinum resistant AND paclitaxel resistant Progressed on or within 6 months of completing therapy with paclitaxel and platinum either alone or in combination Bidimensionally measurable disease (excludes ascites and pleural effusions) Brain metastases allowed provided that other measurable disease exists and brain lesions required no therapy for 6 months and are not life threatening Not eligible for higher priority GOG protocol

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: GOG 0-2 Life expectancy: At least 8 weeks Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3,000/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) SGOT/SGPT no greater than 1.5 times ULN Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN Renal: Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL Other: No significant infection Not pregnant or nursing Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception No history of allergic reaction to polysorbate 80 (e.g., etoposide or vitamin E) No other invasive malignancies within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: See Disease Characteristics Must have had at least 1 prior platinum based chemotherapeutic regimen containing carboplatin, cisplatin, or another organoplatinum compound Must have had at least 1 prior paclitaxel based chemotherapeutic regimen 1 or 2 prior chemotherapy regimens containing platinum and paclitaxel allowed Recovered from toxic effects No prior docetaxel Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: No prior radiotherapy Surgery: Recovered from effects of recent surgery Other: At least 3 weeks since any prior therapy directed at the malignant tumor No prior cancer treatment that contraindicates this protocol therapy