Corticosteroids are a type of anti-inflammatory medication used to treat many medical conditions, including cancer. These drugs are synthetic versions of the natural steroid cortisol. In cancer patients, they can be used as a form of chemotherapy to help kill cancer cells. They also may have additional benefits, such as improving appetite, relieving pain and reducing swelling associated with cancers.

Corticosteroids are used to treat a number of cancers, including:

• Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Leukemias
• Multiple myeloma
• Brain tumors

There are many potential side effects associated with the use of corticosteroids during cancer treatment, including muscle and bone weakness, bloating and fluid retention. Patients should closely monitor such side effects and report them to their physician if they become especially severe. In most cases, side effects disappear after corticosteroid treatment is ended.