Compounds of the formula wherein R1and R1′are independently alkyl, aryl, alkenyl or alkynyl; R2and R2′are independently hydrogen, alkyl, aralkyl, alkoxyalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, haloalkyl, aminoalkyl, monoalkylaminoalkyl, dialkylaminoalkyl, acylaminoalkyl, alkylsulphonylaminoalkyl, arylsulphonyl-aminoalkyl, mercaptoalkyl, alkylthioalkyl, carboxyalkyl, alkoxycarbonylalkyl, aminocarbonylalkyl, alkylthio or alkylsulphinyl; R4, R5, R6, R7, R4′, R5′, R6′, and R7′each independently are hydrogen, CO2R9, CH2OR10, CHO, CH2NR11R12, CON(R13)2, halogen, cyano, aryl, alkyl, hydroxy, alkoxy, aryloxy, haloalkyl, nitro, amino, aralkyloxy, acylamino, monoalkylamino, dialkylamino, thio, alkyl, alkylsulphinyl, alkylsulphonyl, arylsulphinyl, azide, phosphate or phosphonate provided that at least one of R4, R5, R6and R7and at least one of R4′, R5′, R6′, and R7′are other than hydrogen, with the proviso that when R6is methoxy, R5or R5′ are not methoxy; R8is alkyl or aryl; R9is alkyl or aryl; R10is hydrogen, alkyl or aryl; R11and R12are independently hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, aralkyl or acyl; R13is hydrogen, alkyl, aryl or aralkyl; and one of X and Y signifies O and the other signifies O, S, (H,OH) or (H,H); as well as pharmaceutically acceptable prodrugs or pharmaceutically acceptable salts of acidic compounds of formula I with bases and or basic compounds of formula I with acids are antiproliferative agents useful in the treatment of cancer.