BACKGROUND To evaluate the 5-year survival rates of second-line intraperitoneal chemotherapy in advanced-staged ovarian cancer. METHODS Between August 1985 and September 1991, 63 patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer received intraperitoneal cisplatin and cytarabine chemotherapy as second-line treatment. RESULTS The median survival from the time of initiation of intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPC) was 29.1 months. A significant advantage in 5-year survival (40%) and 5-year progression-free survival (37%) was observed among 21 patients who demonstrated a response to first-line and second-line treatment compared to those who demonstrated a response to first-line treatment only (6 and 0%, respectively) (P < 0.0001). No patient (n = 13) who failed to respond to either first-line or second-line treatment survived for 5 years. Among 42 patients with < or = 5 mm residual disease at the time of initiation of IPC, 5-year survival was 36% and 5-year progression-free survival was 31%, while no patient (n = 21) with residual disease measuring > 5 mm at the initiation of IPC survived 5 years (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Given the limitation that this is not a randomized trial, the data appear to indicate that salvage platinum-based intraperitoneal chemotherapy results in significant 5-year survival and progression-free survival in selected patients who initiated therapy with small (< or = 5 mm) tumor burden. These survival rates as second-line therapy approach those achieved by first-line platinum-based intravenous chemotherapy in patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer with similar small residual disease at the initiation of therapy.