Clinical improvement in advanced cancer disease after treatment combining histamine and H2-antihistaminics (ranitidine or cimetidine).

In a randomized study 31 patients with advanced cancer disease in whom classical anticancer therapy had been abandoned received a daily combination of subcutaneous histamine and oral H2-antihistaminics. In 27 patients, treatment induced a marked clinical improvement as shown by a large rise in performance status (Karnofsky scale). Ten patients were still alive 3-14 months after initiation of treatment. Average survival in the 31 treated patients (172 +/- 113 days) was significantly longer than in 34 non-treated patients with similar advanced cancer (26 +/- 16 days, P less than 0.00001). In six treated patients, the size of liver and lung metastases decreased. Histamine was perfectly tolerated up to 4 mg/day.