The fourth international symposium on platinum co-ordination complexes in cancer chemotheraphy was held at the University of Vermont, Burlington, U.S.A., during June. The purpose of the meeting was to consider new developments in the biology, chemistry, clinical aspects, pharmacodynamics and toxicology of platinum complexes as they relate to cancer therapy. Twenty-one invited papers were read, and the programme provided time for observation and discussion of over eighty poster presentations.

The search for new drugs having less toxicity and at least comparable activity to the established drug cisplatin is continuing, and a number of alternative platinum complexes are presently undergoing clinical trials.

A review of this important and highly successful meeting, which was attended by over 180 delegates from 12 countries, will be given in the January 1984 issue of this journal, while the full proceedings will be published by Martinus Nijhoff in early 1984.