From July 1986 to June 1989, 43 evaluable patients with advanced ovarian cancer were treated on protocol with initial cytoreductive surgery, two courses of high-intensity intravenous Cytoxan (1000 mg/m2) and cisplatin (120-200 mg/m2) chemotherapy, and repeat debulking laparotomy in an effort to maximize response to a subsequent four cycles of intraperitoneal platinum-based chemotherapy. Two patients were stage IIIA, 2 stage IIIB, 28 stage IIIC, and 11 stage IV. Five tumors were grade 1, 9 grade 2, and 29 grade 3. Thirty-eight (88%) patients had bulky tumor (5-25 cm) found at first laparotomy; 25 of these had greater than 1-cm residual after initial debulking. Following two cycles of intensive intravenous chemotherapy 18 of these 25 had greater than 1-cm disease found at second laparotomy; 12 of 18 underwent secondary cytoreduction to less than 1 cm. Thus, 30 of these 38 (79%) patients entered the intraperitoneal phase of the protocol with less than 1-cm disease. Four patients had 2- to 5-cm tumor at initial laparotomy; two of four were debulked to less than 1-cm residual. All four were found to have less than 1-cm disease at second laparotomy. This combination regimen was well tolerated. There was one treatment-related death. In sum, 42 of 43 patients had tumor greater than 2 cm at staging laparotomy and 38 (88%) had large, bulky disease (5-25 cm); 34 of 43 (79%) entered the intraperitoneal phase of the protocol with optimal (less than 1-cm) disease. Aggressive chemosurgical cytoreduction in patients with bulky advanced ovarian cancer can leave a large proportion of patients with minimal residual disease and maximize their chances of responding to subsequent intraperitoneal chemotherapy.