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The growth of fresh and I issue cultured B-16 malignant melanoma cells in C57BL/6 mice was quantitated, using as parameters the latent time to tumor appearance, tumor incidence, and mortality rate. The tumor was antigenic, as evidenced by the appearance of humoral antibodies to melanoma-associated antigens during the natural growth of this tumor and by the induction of resistance to lethal doses of tumor by immunization with repeated injections of irradiated, or sublethal doses of viable, melanoma cells. This immunity was not entirely specific, since mice immunized to B-16 melanoma were slightly resistant to challenge with BW10232 mammary adenocarcinoma and, conversely, mice immunized to mammary adenocarcinoma were slightly resistant to melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]