A 20(S) or 20(RS)-camptothecin salt, wherein said salt has the structure shown below ##STR14## wherein Z is hydrogen or C.sub.1-8 alkyl R is NO.sub.2, NH.sub.2, N.sub.3, hydrogen halogen, COOH, OH, O--C.sub.1-3 alkyl, SH, S--C.sub.1-3 alkyl, CN, CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2, NH--C.sub.1-3 alkyl, CH.sub.2 --NH--C.sub.1-3 alkyl, N(C.sub.1-3 alkyl).sub.2, CH.sub.2 N(C.sub.1-3 alkyl).sub.2, O--, NH-- or S--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 N(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH).sub.2, O--, NH-- or S-- CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 N(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH).sub.2, O--, NH-- or S--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 N(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH).sub.2, O-- NH-- or S--H.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 N(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH.sub.2 .sub.2, O--, NH-- or S--H.sub.2 CH.sub.2 N(C.sub.1-3 alkyl).sub.2, O--, NH-- or S--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 N(C.sub.1-3 alkyl).sub.2, CHO, C.sub.1-3 alkyl or NHCOCHR.sup.1 NR.sup.2 R.sup.3, where R.sup.1 is the side-chain of an .alpha.-amino acid and R.sup.2 and R.sup.3, independently, are hydrogen or a lower alkyl group or R.sup.3 is a peptide unit containing 1-3 amino acid units bonded to the nitrogen through a peptide bond;
- NHCO--C.sub.2-8 -alkylene--X or NHCO--C.sub.2-8 -alkenylene--X, where X is COOH;
- CONR.sup.2 --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --NR.sup.2 R.sup.3, where n=1-10 and R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are as defined above;
- NHCO--B--(CH.sub.2).sub.n --NR.sup.2 R.sup.3, where B=oxygen or NH;
- or ##STR15## where m+y=3-6, M.sup.+ is a monovalent metal cation and salts thereof.