Use of high dose cis-dichlorodiammine platinum (II) (NSC--119875) following failure on previous chemotherapy for advanced carcinoma of the ovary.

Cis-dichlorodiammine platinum II (cisplatin) in high dose was given to 30 patients with advanced carcinoma of the ovary, 31 had been previously treated with alkylating agents or various chemotherapy regimens excluding cisplatin and 9 patients had tumours resistant to low dose cisplatin regimens. The high dose regimen consisted of cisplatin given at 100 mg/m2 with 24 hours pre- and post-treatment hydration, at monthly intervals up to a maximum of 5 doses. Seventeen of the 31 patients (55%) showed a therapeutic response including 25% who had complete regression of tumour. The median duration of complete remissions was 10 months. Unfortunately, patients who had already been exposed to cisplatin at low doses (20 mg/m2) responded less well, only 2 out of 9 (22%). Even at this late stage of disease, seven patients showed a good enough response to undergo further surgery and of these three were macroscopically clear of tumour and in two patients multiple biopsy material failed to show residual tumour microscopically.