PURPOSE: Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is under continuous evaluation as a potential treatment for ovarian cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of chemotherapy, drug concentration and temperature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the combined effects of hyperthermia and taxane chemotherapy on the clonogenic survival of the human ovarian carcinoma SHIN-3 cell line in vitro. RESULTS: When hyperthermia was combined with chemotherapy, the median lethal dose (LD50) was equivalent regardless of the duration of exposure, and was independent of the exposure temperature. Taxanes showed a similar LD50 over the temperature range tested. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, hyperthermia does not increase the cytotoxic effects of taxanes, at least for the concentrations and durations tested.