Paclitaxel [‘Taxol’] plus a platinum compound emerged as a contender for first-line treatment of ovarian cancer in a study presented during the 34th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) [Los Angeles, US; May 1998]. Indeed, the evidence is now so convincing that leading UK ovarian cancer specialists drew up guidelines suggesting that all women with advanced ovarian cancer should have access to paclitaxel. Currently, not all UK health authorities fund this drug. Meanwhile, other studies presented during the meeting highlighted the role of adverse effects as cost drivers in cancer care.