Perspective on the usefulness of the mouse lymphoma assay as an indicator of a genotoxic carcinogen: ten compounds which are positive in the mouse lymphoma assay but are not genotoxic carcinogens.

The mouse lymphoma assay is commonly included in batteries of tests for the mutagenic and carcinogenic potential of chemicals. Unlike other bacterial and mammalian cell tests, it has an unacceptably high incidence of false positive results. This paper reviews data on ten chemicals, all of which are positive in the mouse lymphoma assay but negative in all other genotoxicity tests. Three are non-genotoxic rodent carcinogens acting through a variety of secondary mechanisms, while seven are not carcinogenic. It is concluded that a positive mouse lymphoma assay alone cannot be a barrier to the human use of drugs and other chemicals.