The use of corticosteroids in Swedish palliative care.

Corticosteroids are commonly used in patients with advanced cancer on both specific and non-specific indications. They are potent drugs with potentially serious adverse side effects. We have in two separate surveys collected answers from 302 physicians and data from 1292 patients on corticosteroid prescription attitudes and clinical practice in Swedish palliative care. Corticosteroids were used in more than 50% of the cancer patients and with high response rates when treating appetite loss, nausea, fatigue or poor wellbeing. The positive response came within the first week of treatment and persisted beyond four weeks. Patients with prostate cancer had a significantly better treatment response of corticosteroids on fatigue as compared to patients with lung cancer. Few physicians had guidelines on the use of corticosteroids in advanced cancer and there were differences in the attitudes between different medical specialties. Guidelines based on prospective clinical trials are needed.