A patient presenting with aggressive squamous cell carcinoma successfully received cisplatin chemotherapy via hyperthermic, isolated limb perfusion (renal impairment ruled out systemic use). Human tumor stem cell assay identified cisplatin as the drug of choice and supports the potential benefit of this procedure in single therapeutic situations. The case illustrates the safety of cisplatin and the ability to give large doses of the nephrotoxic drug with no damage to renal function. The potential efficacy over systemic cisplatin has yet to be established except when systemic use is limited from renal dysfunction.