A cancer vaccine containing a replication-defective recombinant canarypox virus (ALVAC), encoding an epitope of MART-1 (melanoma antigen recognized by T-cells), with potential immunostimulatory and antineoplastic activities. Upon administration, the MART-1 epitope is expressed by the ALVAC vector in ALVAC-MART-1 vaccine; a host cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response against MART-1-expressing tumor cells may follow, resulting in tumor cell lysis and decreased tumor cell proliferation.