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PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Pharmacology of Anti-Cancer Drugs
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1551111
Rethinking corticosteroids use in Oncology Perspective Article
Provisionally accepted
Pierrick Martinez 1*
Jean-Marc SABATIER 2*- 1 Association Cancer et Métabolisme, Nîmes, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
- 2 UMR7051 Institut de Neurophysiopathologie, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Corticosteroids (CSs), widely used in oncology for their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties, help manage cancer-related symptoms and side effects. However, their long-term use may negatively affect patient survival and exacerbate tumor progression. Elevated glucose and glutamine metabolism, disruption of vitamin D levels, and alterations in the microbiome are some of the key factors contributing to these adverse outcomes. Approaches such as ketogenic diets, fasting, sartans, and vitamin D supplementation have shown promise in providing similar benefits to CSs while mitigating the risks associated with the mechanisms identified as contributing to tumor progression. This perspective underscores the necessity for a reevaluation of CSs use in cancer care and advocates for further research into safer, more effective therapeutic strategies.
Keywords: corticosteroids, Glucocorticoids, Glycolysis, Glutaminolysis, Renin-Angiotensin System, Vitamin D, microbiome
Received: 24 Dec 2024; Accepted: 07 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Martinez and SABATIER. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Pierrick Martinez, Association Cancer et Métabolisme, Nîmes, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Jean-Marc SABATIER, UMR7051 Institut de Neurophysiopathologie, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, 13385, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
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