2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and related compounds inhibit diverse estrogen-induced responses in the rodent uterus and human breast cancer cells. The effects of a single non-toxic dose of TCDD (10 mu g/kg) on the development of mammary tumors was investigated in female Sprague-Dawley rats treated with an oral dose of 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) (20 mg). In rats which developed mammary tumors, subsequent treatment with corn oil (vehicle) resulted in a 3.9-fold increase in mammary tumor volume after 21 days. In contrast, a second group of rats with mammary tumors were treated with a non-toxic dose of TCDD (10 mu g/kg) and after 21 days, the mean tumor volumes decreased from 89.7 +/- 53 mm(3) to 24.9 +/- 28.5 mm(3). Moreover, these results demonstrate the antitumorigenic activity of TCDD in female Sprague-Dawley rats.