Intraperitoneal chemotherapy with high-dose cisplatin and cytosine arabinoside for refractory ovarian carcinoma and other malignancies principally involving the peritoneal cavity.

Sixty-two patients with refractory ovarian carcinoma or other malignancies principally confined to the peritoneal cavity were treated with an intraperitoneal combination chemotherapy regimen consisting of cisplatin (100 mg/m2 or 200 mg/m2) and cytosine arabinoside (4 X 10(-3) mol/L or 10(-2) mol/L). Sodium thiosulfate was simultaneously administered intravenously (IV) to protect against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Sixteen of 52 evaluable patients demonstrated evidence of a clinical response including 14 (36%) of 39 with refractory ovarian carcinoma. Systemic toxicity was not severe except for cisplatin-induced emesis and a single episode of major renal insufficiency. Dose-limiting toxicity was bone marrow suppression with cytosine arabinoside administered at 10(-2) mol/L. We conclude that combination intraperitoneal therapy with high-dose cisplatin and cytosine arbinoside can be safely administered with objective tumor responses observed in patients with ovarian carcinoma refractory to front-line chemotherapy and in occassional individuals with other malignancies principally confined to the peritoneal cavity.