The minor role of the cancer research community in efforts to control human cancer by testing chemicals in rote bioassays and empirical "carcinogen" labelling is discussed. Although the causation of certain cancers by chemical carcinogens was a prominent segment of cancer research for many years this is no longer the case. The field has become the province of governmental regulators and little evidence suggests that an impact on the incidence of human cancer has resulted. In spite of a promising beginning major changes seem necessary; hopefully the cancer research community will become interested again and will reintroduce scientific disciplines into this area.