Prognostic associations of steroid use in patients with glioblastoma: a population-based study

Lay Summary of the manuscript: Prognostic associations of steroid use in patients with glioblastoma: a population-based study For decades, corticosteroids have been the therapeutic cornerstone in neurooncology because they reduce edema-related symptoms, neurosurgical complications, and nausea during chemo- and radiotherapy. Increasing clinical and preclinical data are showing steroid-associated detrimental effects on the prognosis of glioblastoma patients. Our study quantifies the extent of steroid use in a cohort of patients with glioblastoma in the Canton of Zurich. It shows an independent association between steroid use at six months after diagnosis of glioblastoma and inferior survival, even adjusting for known prognostic factors. The exact mechanisms by which steroids may mediate poorer survival outcomes remain to be elucidated.