Cancer, Cancer Treatment

Prednisone, a corticosteroid that mimics a natural steroid produced by the adrenal gland, is a synthetic hormone that can be prescribed for individuals with sub-normal levels of cortisone in their systems. These steroids are needed for healthy bodily function and they play a key role in controlling inflammation, helping with organ transplant recovery, as well as the treatment of other serious diseases.

Prednisone is most often used to treat autoimmune diseases through the suppression of inflammation and immune response. In these patients, the immune system malfunctions and attacks healthy cells or tissues, so a corticosteroid is ideal for relieving the painful and stressful symptoms that accompany these diseases. A few autoimmune diseases that you or someone you know may suffer from include Crohn’s Disease, celiac disease (gluten intolerance), rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Prednisone can even be useful in the treatment of some forms of cancer, and is often combined with antibiotics for the treatment of pneumonia in AIDS patients with weakened immune systems. For those going through an organ transplant procedure, Prednisone moderates inflammation during the standard recovery period. In a healthy individual, the immune system targets any foreign substance that enters the body, but Prednisone disrupts this process in instances where we want the foreign material to continue to grow and function within the new host body.
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