17-substituted steroids useful in cancer treatment

A compound of the formula (I) ##STR27## wherein X represents the residue of the A, B and C rings of a steroid selected from the group consisting of

• androstan-3.alpha.- or 3.beta.-ol,
• androst-5-en-3.alpha.- or 3.beta.-ol,
• androst-4-en-3-one,
• androst-2-ene,
• androst-4-ene,
• androst-5-ene,
• androsta-5,7-dien-3.alpha. or 3.beta.-ol,
• androsta-1,4-dien-3-one,
• estra-1,3,5[10]-trien-3-ol,
• .alpha. -androstan-3-one,
• androst-4-ene-3,11-dione,
• 6-fluoroandrost-4-ene-3-one,
• androstan-4-ene-3,6-dione,
• each of which, where structurally permissible, can be further derivatised in one or more of the following ways:
• to form 3-esters
• to have one or more carbon to carbon ring double bonds in any of the 5,6-, 6,7-, 7,8-, 9,11- and 11,12-positions
• as 3-oximes
• as 3-methylenes
• as 3-carboxylates
• as 3-nitriles
• as 3-nitros
• as 3-desoxy derivatives
• to have one or more hydroxy, halo, C.sub.1-4 -alkyl, trifluoro-methyl, C.sub.1-4 -alkoxy, C.sub.1-4 -alkanoyloxy, benzoyloxy, oxo, methylene or alkenyl substituents in the A, B, or C-ring
• to be 19-nor;
• R represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group of 1-4 carbon atoms;
• androsta-3,5-diene,
• androsta-3,5-diene-3-ol,
• estra-1,3,5[10]-triene and
• estra-1,3,5[10]-trien-3-ol,
• .alpha. -androstan-3-one:
• androst-4-ene-3,11-dione,
• 6-fluoroandrost-4-ene-3-one,
• androstan-4-ene-3,6-dione,
• each of which, where structurally permissible, can be further derivatised in one or more of the following ways:
• to form 3-esters
• to have one or more carbon or carbon ring double bonds in any of the 5,6-, 6,7-, 7,8-, 9,11- and 11,12-positions
• as 3-oximes
• as 3-methylenes
• as 3-carboxylates
• as 3-nitriles
• as 3-nitros
• as 3-desoxy derivatives
• to have one or more hydroxy, halo, C.sub.1-4 -alkyl, trifluoro-methyl, C.sub.1-4 -alkoxy, C.sub.1-4 -alkanoyloxy, benzoyloxy, oxo, methylene or alkenyl substituents in the A, B, or C-ring
• to be 19-nor;
• R represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group of 1-4 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.14 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or an alkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• each of the R.sup.15 substituents independently represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or alkoxy group of 1-4 carbon atoms, a hydroxy group or an alkylcarbonyloxy group of 2 to 5 carbon atoms or together represent an oxo or methylene group or R.sup.14 and one of the R.sup.15 groups together represent a double bond and the other R.sup.15 group represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• and
• R.sup.16 represents a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, or an alkyl group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, in the form of the free bases or pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts, but excluding 3.beta.-acetoxy-17-(3-pyridyl)androsta-5,14,16-triene, 3.beta.,15.alpha.- and 3.beta.,15.beta.-diacetoxy-17-(3-pyridyl)androsta-5,16-diene and 3.beta.-methoxy-17-(3-pyridyl-5.alpha.-androst-16-ene.