Compared with BSC, everolimus did not significantly improve overall survival for advanced gastric cancer that progressed after one or two lines of previous systemic chemotherapy. The safety profile observed for everolimus was consistent with that observed for everolimus in other cancers.

BackgroundPolypharmacy is regarded as an important risk factor for fallingand several studies and meta-analyses have shown an increased fall risk in users of diuretics, type 1a antiarrhythmics, digoxin and psychotropic agents. In particular, recent evidence has shown that fall risk is associated with the use of polypharmacy regimens that include at least one established fall risk-increasing drug, rather than with polypharmacy per se. We studied the role of polypharmacy and the role of well-known fall risk-increasing drugs on the incidence of injurious falls.MethodsA retrospective observational study was carried out in a population of elderly nursing home residents. An unmatched, post-stratification design for age class, gender and length of stay was adopted. In all, 695 falls were recorded in 293 residents.Results221 residents (75.4%) were female and 72 (24.6%) male, and 133 (45.4%) were recurrent fallers. 152 residents sustained no injuries when they fell, whereas injuries were sustained by 141: minor in 95 (67.4%) and major in 46 (32.6%). Only fall dynamics (p = 0.013) and drugs interaction between antiarrhythmic or antiparkinson class and polypharmacy regimen (≥7 medications) seem to represent a risk association for injuries (p = 0.024; OR = 4.4; CI 95% 1.21 - 15.36).ConclusionThis work reinforces the importance of routine medication reviews, especially in residents exposed to polypharmacy regimens that include antiarrhythmics or antiparkinson drugs, in order to reduce the risk of fall-related injuries during nursing home stays.

LBA3 Background: The prognosis for patients with AGC after failure of first-line chemotherapy is poor. Currently, there is no level 1 evidence established for second-line treatment. EVE inhibits the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, a key regulator of cell proliferation, metabolism, and angiogenesis, and has shown efficacy against AGC in preclinical and phase I/II studies. Methods: In a randomized, double-blind, multicenter, phase III study, patients age ≥18 years with confirmed AGC and disease progression after 1 or 2 lines of systemic chemotherapy were randomized 2:1 to oral EVE 10 mg/d plus best supportive care (BSC) or placebo (PBO) plus BSC. Randomization was stratified by region (Asia vs rest of world) and previous lines of chemotherapy (1 vs 2). Study drug was discontinued upon progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate (ORR), and safety. The final analysis was performed when 526 deaths occurred. Results: A total of 656 patients from 23 countries were enrolled from Jul 2009 to Dec 2010; 439 were randomized to EVE, 217 to PBO. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between arms; 73.6% were men, 55.3% were enrolled in Asia, 47.7% received 1 previous line of chemotherapy, and 50.6% had a gastrectomy. Median OS was 5.39 months with EVE vs 4.34 months with PBO (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.75-1.08; P=0.1244). Median PFS per local investigator assessment was 1.68 months with EVE vs 1.41 months with PBO (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.56-0.78; p<0.0001). Six-month PFS estimates were 12.0% with EVE and 4.3% with PBO. OS and PFS results were consistent across the various subgroups. ORR (95% CI) was 4.5% (2.6%-7.1%) with EVE vs 2.1% (0.6%-5.3%) with PBO. The most common grade 3/4 adverse events were anemia (16.0% with EVE vs 12.6% with PBO), decreased appetite (11.0% vs 5.6%), and fatigue (7.8% vs 5.1%). Conclusions: EVE monotherapy did not significantly improve OS in patients with AGC previously treated with 1 or 2 lines of systemic chemotherapy. EVE did improve PFS. Results for OS and PFS were consistent across the various subgroups. The safety profile was consistent with that previously observed with EVE.

Pathways to CMHCs are complex and influenced by many factors. Non-medical pathways to care seem to be frequent among migrants in Italy. More attention should be paid to developing psychiatric consultation liaison models that also encompass the social services and voluntary organizations.