(E)-styryl benzylsulfones of formula I are useful as anticancer agents:
##STR1##
wherein
R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, and R.sub.4 are independently selected from the
group consisting of hydrogen, fluoro, chloro, iodo, bromo, C1-C6 alkyl,
C1-C4 alkoxy, nitro, cyano and trifluoromethyl,
with the proviso that
(a) R.sub.1, R.sub.2 , and R.sub.3 not all hydrogen when R.sub.4 is
2-chloro or 4-chloro;
(b) when R.sub.1 and R.sub.3 are hydrogen and R.sub.2 is 4-bromo or
4-chloro, then R.sub.4 may not be 4-chloro, 4-fluoro or 4-bromo;
(c) when R.sub.1 and R.sub.3 are hydrogen and R.sub.2 is 4-fluoro, then
R.sub.4 may not be 4-fluoro or 4-bromo,
(d) when R.sub.1 is hydrogen, and R.sub.4 is 2-fluoro, the R.sub.2 and
R.sub.3 may not be 4-fluoro; and
(e) when R.sub.1 is hydrogen and R.sub.3 is 4-hydrogen, 4-chloro, 4-bromo,
4-methyl or 4-methoxy, and R.sub.4 is 2-hydrogen, 2-chloro, or 2-fluoro;
then R.sub.2 may not be 4-hydrogen, 4-chloro, 4-fluoro, or 4-bromo.
