Method of treating colonic adenomas

A method of retarding or preventing the transformation of a colonic adenoma to a colonic adenocarcinoma comprising administering to a patient with one or more of said adenmas a non-toxic therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula III ##STR6## or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof wherein:

• R.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of
• (a) S(O).sub.2 CH.sub.3,
• (b) S(O).sub.2 NH.sub.2,
• (c) S(O).sub.2 NHC(O)CF.sub.3,
• (d) S(O)(NH)CH.sub.3,
• (e) S(O)(NH)NH.sub.2,
• (f) S(O)(NH)NHC(O)CF.sub.3,
• R.sup.2 is selected from the group consisting of
• (a) C.sub.3, C.sub.4, C.sub.5, C.sub.6, and C.sub.7, cycloalkyl,
• (b) mono-, di- or tri-substituted phenyl wherein the substituent is selected from the group consisting of
• (1) hydrogen,
• (2) halo,
• (3) C.sub.1-6 alkoxy,
• (4) C.sub.1-6 alkylthio,
• (5) CN,
• (6) CF.sub.3,
• (7) C.sub.1-6 alkyl,
• (8) N.sub.3,
• (9) --CO.sub.2 H,
• (10) --CO.sub.2 --C.sub.1-4 alkyl,
• (11) --C(H)(R.sup.6)--OH,
• (12) --C(H)(R.sup.6)--O--C.sub.1-4 alkyl, and
• (13) --C.sub.1-6 alkyl--CO.sub.2 H;
• (c) mono-, di- or tri-substituted heteroaryl wherein the heteroaryl is a monocyclic aromatic ring of 5 atoms, said ring having one hetero atom which is S, O, or N, and optionally 1, 2, or 3 additional N atoms;
• or
• the heteroaryl is a monocyclic ring of 6 atoms, said ring having one hetero atom which is N, and optionally 1, 2 or 3 additional N atoms;
• said substituents are selected from the group consisting of
• (1) hydrogen,
• (2) halo, including fluoro, chloro, bromo and iodo,
• (3) C.sub.1-6 alkyl,
• (4) C.sub.1-6 alkoxy,
• (5) C.sub.1-6 alkylthio,
• (6) CN,
• (7) CF.sub.3,
• (8) N.sub.3,
• (9) --C(H)(R.sup.6)--OH,
• (10) --C(H)(R.sup.6)--O--C.sub.1-4 alkyl;
• R.sup.5 and R.sup.5' are each methyl or ethyl, and
• R.sup.6 is selected from the group consisting of
• (a) hydrogen, and
• (b) C.sub.1-6 alkyl.