The combination of a biocompatible electron donor and a platinum-based antineoplastic agent exhibits improved efficacy in treating cancer This improved activity appears to be the result of electron transfer from the aforementioned donor compound to the platinum-based antineoplastic agent As the electron donor alone has no chemotherapeutic utility in treating cancer, the resulting combinations appear to be synergistic in nature In select preferred embodiments, the biocompatible electron donor is an amine (such as N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylene diamine or indocyanine green), a phenolic compound (such as a flavanol or catechin), or a quinone (such as an aromatic quinone), while the antineoplastic is cisplatin.
