A melanoma peptide vaccine complexed with tetanus toxoid with potential antineoplastic activity. Peptide 946 contains a melanoma-specific epitope recognized by melanoma-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). In addition to the peptide 946 sequence, this vaccine contains tetanus toxin, a protein known to stimulate the induction of CD4+ T lymphocytes; it thereby enhances antigen processing and presentation. Vaccination with the peptide 946-tetanus conjugate melanoma vaccine may produce antibodies as well as elicit a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response in tumor cells expressing the 946 epitope, thereby decreasing tumor cell growth.