Elesclomol Sodium and Paclitaxel in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Persistent Ovarian Epithelial Cancer, Fallopian Tube Cancer, or Primary Peritoneal Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients must have recurrent or persistent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal carcinoma; histologic documentation of the original primary tumor is required via the pathology report
• Patients with the following histologic epithelial cell types are eligible: serous adenocarcinoma, endometrioid adenocarcinoma, mucinous adenocarcinoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, clear cell adenocarcinoma, mixed epithelial carcinoma, transitional cell carcinoma, malignant Brenner's tumor, or adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified (N.O.S.)
• All patients must have measurable disease as defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1; measurable disease is defined as at least one lesion that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension (longest diameter to be recorded); each lesion must be >= 10 mm when measured by computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or caliper measurement by clinical exam; or >= 20 mm when measured by chest x-ray; lymph nodes must be >= 15 mm in short axis when measured by CT or MRI
• Patients must have at least one "target lesion" to be used to assess response on this protocol as defined by RECIST 1.1; tumors within a previously irradiated field will be designated as "non-target" lesions unless progression is documented or a biopsy is obtained to confirm persistence at least 90 days following completion of radiation therapy
• Patients must not be eligible for a higher priority Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) protocol, if one exists; in general, this would refer to any active GOG phase III protocol for the same patient population
• Patients must have a GOG performance status of 0, 1, or 2
• Patients must have baseline lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels =< 0.8 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Recovery from effects of recent surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy
• Patients should be free of active infection requiring antibiotics (with the exception of uncomplicated urinary tract infection [UTI])
• Any hormonal therapy directed at the malignant tumor must be discontinued at least one week prior to registration
• Any other prior therapy directed at the malignant tumor, including biological and immunologic agents, must be discontinued at least three weeks prior to registration
• Prior therapy
• Patients must have had one prior platinum-based chemotherapeutic regimen for management of primary disease containing carboplatin, cisplatin, or another organoplatinum compound; this initial treatment may have included intraperitoneal therapy, high-dose therapy, consolidation, non-cytotoxic agents or extended therapy administered after surgical or non-surgical assessment
• Patients must have NOT received any additional cytotoxic chemotherapy for management of recurrent or persistent disease, including retreatment with initial chemotherapy regimens; (Note: optimal evaluation of the safety and efficacy of new chemotherapy regimens is best performed in patients with minimal prior therapy; non-investigational therapy, such as retreatment with platinum and/or paclitaxel, is non-curative in the setting of recurrent disease, and can generally be safely administered to patients following participation in a phase II trial)
• Patients are allowed to receive, but are not required to receive, one additional non-cytotoxic regimen for management of recurrent or persistent disease according to the following definition:
• Non-cytotoxic (biologic or cytostatic) agents include (but are not limited to) hormones, monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, and small-molecule inhibitors of signal transduction
• Patients must be considered platinum resistant or refractory according to standard GOG criteria, i.e., have had a treatment-free interval following platinum of less than 6 months, or have progressed during platinum-based therapy
• Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) greater than or equal to 1,500/mcl
• Platelets greater than or equal to 100,000/mcl
• Creatinine less than or