The clinical outcome of disseminated melanoma is grim. Small molecular weight antagonists (preferably about seven amino acid residues) specific for MCR on melanoma cells are provided for the therapy of melanoma as well as in other conditions where modulation of MCR is of clinical significance. A particularly preferred antagonist is p-anisoyl-[D-Arg^6,9, D-Lys¹¹, D-Leu¹²] dynorphin A(6-12)-NH₂, which is an excellent antagonist of the MCR-1 receptor.