RT Journal
A1 River GL
T1 PAnacea or placebo?
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 1979
FD June 1
VO 139
IS 6
SP 714
OP 714
DO 10.1001/archinte.1979.03630430090032
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1979.03630430090032
AB To the Editor.— 
    The editorial by Dr Richard W. Welch, in the Archives (138:1208-1209, 1978), very appropriately indicated the narrow spectrum of proved clinical usefulness of cimetidine.Without any intention of detracting from this editorial opinion, I would suggest that under certain circumstances there may be other very narrow indications for the use of cimetidine, at least in the practice of hematology and oncology. Certain patients in this field require high-dose corticosteroid therapy, and yet may have either an active ulcer or a history of a recurrent active ulcer. Under these circumstances, I think that cimetidine in the usual doses, for the period that the patient is receiving corticosteroids, is a major benefit and allows the use of the corticosteroids; otherwise, they might be absolutely contraindicated.I would invite other comments from hematologists and oncologists who are faced with this situation; at least at present, I have been unwilling to