Dyspnea is a common symptom in patients with
cancer, particularly those with late-stage terminal disease. It markedly affects terminal
cancer patients, reducing their quality of life. Reduced quality of life also affects survival; therefore,
dyspnea is a prognostic factor. However, the role of
corticosteroids, which often are used to alleviate
dyspnea, has not been sufficiently validated. In this study, we retrospectively investigated whether
corticosteroid monotherapy was effective for
dyspnea palliation. The effectiveness rate of
corticosteroid therapy was 45% in nine male and two female study subjects (mean age: 74.5 years; range: 64-86 years). No significant differences were found between responders and nonresponders in the first-day
corticosteroid doses (25.5 ± 10.86 vs. 36.1 ± 16.39 mg, P = .29) or doses administered on 2 days (47.7 ± 25.99 vs. 72.2 ± 32.78 mg, P = .25). The mean ± standard error assessment score changed significantly from 2.7 ± 0.14 at the beginning of
corticosteroid administration to 1.5 ± 0.37 at the time of maximum effect (P = .028); however, the decrease to 2.1 ± 0.25 at the final administration was not significant (P = .068). This indicates that
corticosteroid therapy relieved
dyspnea and could provide an early-stage treatment option.