The administration of 2.5 mg retinyl acetate daily in the diet to female Sprague-Dawley rats beginning 7 days after the intragastric instillation of either 2.5, 5, or 15 mg 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (CMBA) resulted in a reduction in the incidence of benign mammary tumors of 37, 30, and 31%, respectively. An equally significant reduction in the number of tumors was also evident. Although no difference was noted in the percentage incidence of mammary adenocarcinomas between the placebo and 2.5 mg retinyl acetate-treated groups at the 2.5-mg DMBA level, the percentage incidence was reduced by 52 and 39% in these groups at the 5- and 15-mg DMBA dose. Furthermore, the number of adenocarcinomas was also significantly reduced. Although both the percentage incidence and number of tumors were reduced by treatment with 1 mg retinyl acetate, these differences were not statistically significant. Liver histology and liver function tests of rats of the retinyl acetate groups did not differ from that of the control group. Similarly, the estrus cycle of treated animals did not differ from that of control rats. These data indicate that relatively large doses of retinyl acetate significantly inhibit the development of DMBA-induced mammary adenocarcinomas and benign tumors. Furthermore, the suppression of mammary tumorigenesis is apparently not the result of an alteration in either the metabolism of DMBA or estrogen nor to an inhibition of tumor growth resulting from retinyl acetate toxicity. The inhibitory effect of retinyl acetate may be related to the effect of retinoids on epithelial cell differentiation and/or reversal of carcinogen-induced anaplasia.