Patients (108) with stage III or IV epithelial ovarian cancers were randomly allocated to treatment with melphalan or the combination of actinomycin-D, 5-fluorouracil and cyclophosphamide (ACFUCY). Those patients receiving the ACFUCY combination had a higher objective response rate and a statistically significantly lower progression rate. The ACFUCY combination gave a higher incidence of severe toxicity.