Corticosteroids, Systemic

Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones produced in the adrenal cortex. They are involved in a wide range of physiologic systems such as the stress and immune responses, the regulation of inflammation, carbohydrate metabolism, and protein catabolism. Corticosteroids can be administered orally, intravenously, or topically and are used to treat a variety of conditions. Drugs in this class include dexamethasone, methylprednisone, prednisone, hydrocortisone, mometasone, betamethasone, and fludrocortisones. Systemic corticosteroids have been examined in for their efficacy in the management of anorexia and pain, and specific, individual corticosteroids typically are part of drug regimens to treat chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. The systemic administration of corticosteroids has been examined for effects on arthralgia associated with cancer treatment using aromatase inhibitors because of the anti-inflammatory property of steroids.