MUC1 is of interest and a potential target for tumour immunotherapy for the following reasons: there is an up to 100-fold increase in the amount of mucin present on cancer cells compared with normal cells; MUC1 has a ubiquitous rather than focal cellular distribution; and MUC1 has altered glycosylation, revealing peptide epitopes not easily identified in normal mucins. This evidence concerns the gene MUC5AC and neoplasm.