Role of corticosteroids in palliative care.

Corticosteroids have been used extensively since cortisone was first synthesized in the 1950s. Glucocorticoids are derived from cortisone and are used in treatments for inflammation, dermatitis, allergic reactions, asthma, hepatitis, lupus erythematosus, nausea, vomiting and inflammatory bowel diseases. In the setting of palliative care, glucocorticoids have many uses, including many symptoms of malignancy, nausea, vomiting, depression, fatigue, anorexia and cachexia.