1,2-Dibromoethane (DBE), which can act as initiating agent, is capable of inducing a malignant phenotype in BALB/c 3T3 cells. Cells transformed with a single noncytotoxic dose formed more progressive tumors in vivo. Almost all animals (95%) receiving the inoculum of two different transformed clones developed tumors within 1 month. In the control group only 55% of the animals developed tumors after 4 months. Treatment with DBE also increased the chemotactic properties of target cells, which also acquired ability to penetrate and colonize a reconstituted basal membrane (matrigel). These data suggest that DBE could play a key role in tumor progression.