Despite a sixfold increase in the number of CEAs being performed, and a rise in the number of centres performing CEA, there is increasing geographical inequality in the provision of CEA in Scotland.

Various approaches to 17a-and 17,3-N (CH2CH2C1)2 androstane compounds have been evaluated and of the routes explored, those involving N(CH2CH2OH)2 derivatives proved the most reliable. Using androstanes with no functionality other than the mustard moiety, and also the more sensitive compounds containing oxygen and/or ethylenic groups in ring A, a detailed evaluation of the merits and disadvantages of a range of reagents and procedures for effecting the final, critical, chlorination reaction has been made. The data obtained are considered to be relevant to nonaromatic mustards in general and thus provide a guide for the selection of the most appropriate chlorinating conditions for variously functionalized steroidal and aliphatic mustards. An analysis of the factors to be considered in designing antitumor active steroid mustards has been carried out. No cytotoxic activity was detected when representative mustards were tested against DMBA-induced mammary tumors in Sprague-Dawley rats.