A variety of cancer chemotherapy drugs are used, mostly in combination, for treatment of locally advanced and metastatic esophageal, gastric and colorectal cancers. The mechanism of action, indications and adverse effects of some of these drugs are discussed in thei article.

Atopic dermatitis (AD; also known as eczema) is frequently associated with other atopic disorders such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, and food allergy. It commonly presents in infancy and early childhood and has a relapsing course, often improving by adolescence, but sometimes persisting into (or first appearing in) adulthood or even old age.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), referred to collectively as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), are chronic immune-mediated inflammatory conditions. Guidelines for treatment of UC and CD have been updated in recent years

Opioid use disorder is a chronic, relapsing disease with physical and psychiatric components. It is associated with economic hardship, social isolation, incarceration, increased rates of blood-borne infections such as HIV and viral hepatitis, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and increased mortality. According to the NIH, there were 80,411 deaths involving an opioid in the US in 2021, more than in any previous year. Several guidelines on the management of opioid use disorder are available; all recommend maintenance pharmacotherapy as the standard of care.

View the Comparison Table: Some Oral Antiseizure Medications

Mild to moderate plaque psoriasis can be treated with topical drugs and phototherapy. Patients with moderate to severe disease generally require systemic therapy. Guidelines for the treatment of psoriasis with topical therapy, phototherapy, and systemic drugs have recently been published.

This issue includes reviews of drugs for glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), bacterial conjunctivitis, and dry eye disease. Allergic conjunctivitis is reviewed in a separate issue.

The main goals of treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are to relieve symptoms, reduce the frequency and severity of exacerbations, prevent disease progression, and reduce mortality. GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) guidelines for treatment of COPD were updated recently. Treatment of acute exacerbations is not discussed here. Drugs available for treatment of COPD are listed in Tables 1 and 3.

Primary hypothyroidism is usually the result of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, thyroidectomy for hyperthyroidism, goiter or cancer, or radioactive iodine therapy for hyperthyroidism.

Antiretroviral therapy is recommended for all HIV-infected patients, both to reduce the risk of disease progression and to prevent transmission of the virus to others. Various guidelines for treatment of HIV infection are available.