Treatment with intravenous, oral, inhaled, or topical adrenal hormones (or their synthetic derivatives), usually to relieve inflammatory diseases (such as asthma or chronic obstructive lung disease; arthritis or colitis; or dermatitis or eczema) or as part of a combined modality treatment for some malignancies. Common side effects of prolonged, high-dose steroid hormone therapy include alterations in the sleep-wake cycle, fluid and sodium retention, muscle weakness, thinning of the skin, cataract formation, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, or immune suppression. Few if any of these effects are likely to occur when steroids are given for 1- or 2-week courses of therapy.