Bovine pineal polypeptide extract (PPE) exerted an anti-tumor effect on mouse-transplantable tumors: mammary cancer (RSM), squamous cell cervical carcinoma (SCC), hepatoma-22a and lympholeukemia LIO-1, and had no effect on Harding-Passey melanoma and leukemia L-1210. It was shown that PPE possessed the ability to decrease the incidence of DMBA-induced mammary adenocarcinomas in rats. The daily administration of 0.5 mg PPE prolonged the life span of rats by 25% and failed to influence spontaneous tumor development. The arguments in favor of a possible mechanism of anti-tumor action of the pineal gland are submitted. It is suggested that the anti-tumor effect of PPE may occur when the syndrome of cancrophilia is induced by tumor transplantation or chemical carcinogens.