To the Editor:—
In The Journal (200, May 15, 1967, adv p 223) a review of our article "A Clinical Trial With Sarcolysin" ( S Afr Med J41:224, 1967) was published. We wish to draw your attention to the erroneous use of the name "melphalan" in your review. Our article reported a clinical trial with the DL isomer of 3-[p-[bis-(2-chloroethyl) amino] phenyl ] L-alanine hydrochloride, also known as "sarcolysin," merphalan, CB-3007, sarcochlorin, DL-phenylalanine mustard, and PAM, with the NSC number 14210. Your reviewer mistakenly reported that our trial was with "melphalan," the L isomer.While we have used melphalan for several years in the treatment of malignant neoplasms, a limited supply of sarcolysin was only made available to us in 1964. This was used in a clinical trial on six patients with reticulum cell sarcoma, seven with Kaposi's sarcoma, three with osteogenic sarcoma, and three with seminoma. Sarcolysin has been