In 23 evaluable patients with advanced ovarian epithelial cancer refractory to combination therapy with cisplatin and an alkylating agent, teniposide (VM-26) was administered as a short-term i.v. infusion at a dose of 100 mg/m2 on days 1 and 2, every 3 weeks. Toxicity was moderate and comparable to the pattern known from other studies. No objective response has been observed, showing that teniposide is not active as second-line therapy in this disease.