This research program endeavors to derive a statistical correlation of the carcinogenicity of a variety of known alkylating carcinogens and their product patterns (O- vs N-alkylations) in reactions with nucleic acid constitutents. These ratios of O:N alkylated products will constitute a chemical characteristic of the carcinogen. Conceivably, a weakly or noncarcinogenic alkylating agent may correlate with a low set of O:N ratios, and conversely, a powerful carcinogen with high O:N ratios, or the reverse may prevail. Either pattern implicates the causal involvement of alkylation of nucleic acids in carcinogenesis.