Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced and disengage in the adrenal cortex. Traditionally natural and synthetic corticosteroids are used for diagnosing and treating dysfunctions of the adrenal cortex and treating inflammatory and immunological diseases. Their use is also widespread in oncological practice. Corticosteroids are indispensable in palliative care, in certain urgent oncological cases, as premedication of some chemotherapies and last but not least they have a key role in the secondary hormonal manipulations of metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer. The purpose of our review is to describe and compare the effects of different agents in oncological practice, to give a detailed account of the above mentioned indications and would also like to draw attention to the possible side effects of a long-term steroid treatment. Orv Hetil. 2017; 158(42): 1651-1657.