We studied a series of 42 patients with advanced ovarian cancer who received intraperitoneal chemotherapy post second-look laparotomy. High-dose cisplatin (200 mg/m2) alone or in combination with cytarabine (2 g) achieved 47% response rate. Median overall survival from second-look laparotomy was 44 months with cisplatin (36 cases), 15 months with carboplatin (600 mg/m2, 5 cases) and not reached at 3 yrs with mitoxantrone (25 mg/m2, 8 cases). Median overall and progression-free survival from second-look laparotomy were 44 and 39 months respectively in complete responders (15 cases), 20 months and 9 months where residual tumor less than 2 cm (21 cases), 22 and 12 months where tumor greater than 2 cm (6 cases). There was a significant difference in survival (P = 0.01) and progression-free survival (P = 0.002) between complete responders and patients whose tumor was less than 2 cm. Toxicity was acceptable except for carboplatin with constant grade 4 leukocytes or platelets toxicity. It was not demonstrated that high-dose intraperitoneal chemotherapy given post second-look laparotomy will improve survival in advanced ovarian cancer. Further studies of polychemotherapy or early administration are needed.