Examining the Usage of Glucocorticosteroids and Quantifying Adverse Events in Malignant Brain Tumor Patients
Peritumoral brain edema (PTBE), one of the largest causes of death in brain tumor patients, is a condition where brain tumors weaken the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which results in a buildup of interstitial fluids in the brain and a massive increase in intracranial pressure. Glucocorticosteroids (GCs) emerged as a method for managing PTBE in the 1960s at the University of Minnesota and are now widely used for this purpose. However, there are ongoing debates about whether or not GCs should continue to be used, not only because they still lack clear and established standards for dosing, but also because there are many suspected side effects associated with their use, including pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and intracranial infection. This report aims to investigate current trends in GC dosing in the U.S., as well as the relation between GC dosage and a multitude of side effects. The findings indicate that increasing dosage of GCs is highly correlated with many side effects and causes a substantially large increase in the risk for heart attacks, pneumonia, and gastritis/peptic ulcers.