“Et cetera” is generally used at the end of a list of items to indicate that there are other similar items not mentioned. You can write out the term “et cetera” or abbreviate it -- without italics -- as “etc.” Use the term to denote things and items, but never use it to refer to people -- for example, “Sally is responsible for setting the schedule, budget, order process, etc.” You should avoid using “et cetera” if the list is introduced with “for example,” “for instance” or “such as” since those terms already indicate a partial list.
Punctuating the term “et cetera” follows traditional punctuation conventions. If you use the abbreviated form “etc.” at the end of a sentence, you don't need an additional period. Similarly, if you use the abbreviated term mid-sentence with a comma, the comma should follow the period -- for example, “She was busy sorting, laundering, folding, etc., forgetting completely about the pot of boiling water on the stove.”