The detection of preneoplastic cells is very important for the analysis of carcinogenic processes and for developing strategies for prevention and treatment of cancer. We have been investigating enzyme alterations occurring during rat chemical hepatocarcinogenesis, especially to find more specific enzyme markers for preneoplastic hepatic lesions. We identified the placental form of glutathione S-transferese (GST-P ; GST 7-7) as a new marker enzyme for preneoplastic hepatocytes. We also found human placental form, GST-7c, to be a possible tumor marker for various human tissues except liver. In this article, their properties and possible functions are reviewed on basis of our recent investigations. A peroxisomal enzyme, enoyl CoA hydratese, in also described as a possible negative marker for rat preneoplastic hepatic foci/nodules and hepatomas induced by peroxisome proliferators.(pre)neoplastic marker ; glutathione S-transferase ; peroxisome proliferator ; enoyl CoA hydratase Chemical carcinogenesis is thought to proceed through initiation and promotion stages. During the latter, in rat hepatocarcinogenesis, preneoplastic cells such as enzyme-altered foci and hyperplastic nodules appear, which express specific marker enzymes (see a review by Sato 1989). We thought chemical carcinogenesis depends on the balance between activation and inactivation of carcinogens and have focused our investigations on drug-metabolizing enzymes, and in particular on isoenzyme alteration of glutathione S-transferase ( GST ), one of the detoxicating enzymes, in rat preneoplastic hepatic lesions.GST has multi-functions performed by multi-molecular forms (isoenzymes) (Sato 1989;Sato and Tsuchida 1991). So far, a large number of isoenzymes have been identified from many species and grouped into Class Alpha, Mu, Pi, Theta