[Intraperitoneal treatment of tumors of the ovary]

Intra-peritoneal chemotherapy and immunotherapy are recent techniques for the treatment of tumours in the ovary. Chemotherapy is used more for the intra-peritoneal route. It is valuable because of the natural history of the disease and because of the pharmacological properties of many antimitotic drugs. Indwelling catheters have made this method easier and more acceptable to the patients. The drugs most used are cistplatinum and carboplatinum but mitoxantrone seems to be a very promising drug. The use of immunomodulators is just starting. Intra-peritoneal treatment should be at present reserved for small masses (less than 2 cm in diameter) whether used as a follow-up treatment or as a primary treatment in association with general chemotherapy.