Status report of Mayo Clinic studies.

Described are primary treatment protocols for 1) those patients with gorssly unresectable stage III or IV ovarian carcinoma, considered reasonable candidates for therapeutic trials aimed at the identification of antitumor activity as determined by the regression of objectively evaluable lesions; and 2) those patients with stage II or III ovarian carcinoma, with little or no visible tumor remaining after surgery, considered reasonable candidates for therapeutic trials involving regimens that may delay or prevent the recurrence of clinically apparent disease. Both protocol involve initially a comparison of cyclophosphamide alone with cyclophosphamide plus adriamycin. A third protocol--an activity-seeking study of two new cytotoxic agents, developed to provide secondary treatment opportunities for patients who have failed on one of the primary chemotherapy protocols--is designed to seek evidence of any cross-resistance between cytembena (beta-4-methoxybenzoyl beta-cis-bromacrylate) and VP-16 (4'-demethyl-epipodophyllotoxin-beta-D-ethylidene glucoside). Data from all three protocols are so far insufficient to allow meaningful analysis of their results.