Adequate tumour models are a prerequisite in experimental cancer research. The purpose of the present work was to establish and assess the validity of four new orthotopic human melanoma xenograft model systems (A-07, D-12, R-18, U-25). Permanent cell lines were established in monolayer culture from subcutaneous metastases of four different melanoma patients by using an in vivo-in vitro procedure, and cells from these lines were inoculated intradermally in Balb/c nu/nu mice to form tumours. Individual xenografted tumours of the same line differed substantially in growth and pathophysiological parameters, probably as a consequence of differences between inoculation sites in host factors which influence tumour angiogenesis. Nevertheless, xenografted tumours of different lines showed distinctly different biological characteristics. Several biological characteristics of the donor patients' tumours were retained in the xenografted tumours, including angiogenic potential; growth, histopathological and pathophysiological parameters; and sensitivity to radiation, heat and dacarbazine treatment. Moreover, the organ-specific metastatic pattern of the xenografted tumours reflected the pattern of distant metastases in the donor patients. The organs of preference for distant metastases were lungs (A-07, D-12), lymph nodes (R-18) and brain (U-25). R-18 lymph node metastases and U-25 brain metastases developed in the absence of lung involvement. The four orthotopic human melanoma xenograft model systems show great promise for future studies of tumour angiogenesis, pathophysiology, treatment sensitivity and metastatic pattern.