Context

This paper describes the three-year angiographic and clinical outcome following treatment of restenotic coronary arteries with catheter based 192Ir.

This double-blind randomised trial was undertaken to document the long-term efficacy and safety of radiation therapy.

The short-term results of radiation therapy have been promising but its long-term effect has been unknown.

Significant findings

At three-year follow-up target lesion revascularisation was significantly less in the 192Ir group (15.4% vs 48.3%; P <0.01). The dichotomous restenosis rate at 3 years was also significantly less in 192Ir patients (33% vs 64%; P <0.05). No events occurred at either the 6 months or 3 year follow-up to suggest an adverse effect of vascular radiotherapy.

Comments

I found this article interesting as it demonstrates a persistence of observed early clinical benefits.

Possible implications of these findings are that vascular radiotherapy may play an important role in the treatment of in-stent restenosis. A limitation of this study is its small sample size. Other studies evaluating the long-term effects of coronary radiation are pending.

Methods

A total of 55 patients were enrolled over a 9 month period; 26 were randomised to 192Ir and 29 to placebo.

Additional information