In order to study the relationship between resistance of tumor cells to anticancer drugs and immunologic cytotoxicity and their chromosome number, a line of cancer cells (NS-1) was exposed to BCNU and CCNU in vitro. Characteristics of the distribution of chromosome number of the survived cells were then comparatively analyzed. Effect of immune mediated cytotoxicity, i.e. complement and cell-mediated cytotoxicity, on the ploidy characteristics was observed in the same way. NS-1 cells were found to be a population of neoplastic cells of heterogeneity having 5 to 115 chromosomes per cell in metaphase. The majority of the cells were belong to the class of chromosome number 56 to 60 which were considered as the stem cell line. Dramatic changes in the distribution of chromosome number following drug treatment were not observed. However the range of chromosome distribution was slightly changed. Characteristics of chromosomal distribution of drug treated cells were not significantly varied by different doses of drug treated. Changed chromosomal distribution patterns of drug treated cells were reversible, especially the cells having 56 to 60 chromosomes recovered rapidly. Cells having 41-60 and 61-80 chromosomes among cells treated with BCNU and cells with 41-60 chromosomes after CCNU treatment were the major population which regenerated continuously. Following BCNU treatment cells having 61-80 chromosomes were not varied much whereas CCNU treatment affects the population in the same class. Chromosomal aberrations were significantly enhanced by BCNU and CCNU treatment. The frequency of chromosomal aberrations was greater in cells having more than 40 chromosomes compared with that in cells having less than 40 chromosomes. Changes in ploidy characteristics of the cells following complement mediated and cell mediated cytotoxicity were not significant. Therefore it was tentatively concluded that association of numerical distribution pattern of NS-1 cells with the response to the treatment used in this experiment was not recognized.