ABSTRACT
The mouse skin carcinogenesis model is one of the oldest systems for the study of chemical carcinogenesis and has been extensively used for studies of genetic toxicology and carcinogenesis. This model is also being used to study the pathobiology of squamous cell carcinomas. Probably the single most important contribution of the mouse skin carcinogenesis model is providing a conceptual framework for the study of the multistage nature of cancer development and particularly the concept that carcinogenesis can be operationally divided in well-defined stages, i.e., initiation and promotion. The two-stage protocol of chemical carcinogenesis consists of the application of a single noncarcinogenic dose of a genotoxic carcinogen followed by multiple applications of a nongenotoxic, but strongly irritating agent. It has been clearly demonstrated that susceptibility to chemical carcinogenesis of the skin is strongly influenced by the genetic makeup of the mouse strain or stock used in the experiments.
