Method of inhibiting lung tumors, arylalkyl isothiocyanates, and method of synthesizing same

A method of inhibiting lung tumor multiplicity and/or incidence by treating mammals with relatively long chain arylalkyl isothiocyanates, especially effective with respect to tumors induced by exposure to tobacco-specific nitrosamine. Among the isothiocyanates are 4-phenylbutyl isothiocyanate, phenylpentyl isothiocyanate and phenylhexyl isothiocyanate, which are synthesized by adding hydrochloride of phenylbutylamine, phenylpentylamine, or phenylhexylamine in water to thiophosgene in an inert organic solvent. For comparison testing, oxo-pyridyl butyl isothiocyanate is synthesized by dissolving myosmine in HCl to obtain a hydrochloride salt, suspending the salt in dry chloroform, adding thiophosgene, and adding chloroform containing triethylamine.