The genetic polymorphism of metabolizers of tobacco smoke carcinogens can influence individual susceptibility to lung cancer. The study was concerned with the Mspl-polymorphism of the CYP1A1 gene responsible for encoding aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase. It also plays a role in the activation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The CYP1A1 alleles and genotype distribution in 146 lung cancer patients was compared with that in 230 healthy donors. Another control group consisted of 259 "cancer-resistant" subjects, i.e. tumor-free smokers and non-smokers aged 75 and more. The CYP1A1 allele incidence (19%) in patients with squamous lung cancer was significantly higher than in the control cohorts (11%) which is consistent with the leading role of PAH in the etiology of this pathology.