Loading...
Although beta- and gamma-radiation are both FDA-approved for treating in-stent restenosis, differences in radiation sources, radiation doses, and catheter-based systems make across-trial comparisons difficult. In this manufacturer-funded, multicenter trial, investigators randomized 332 patients with diffuse in-stent restenosis to either placebo or intracoronary beta-radiation treatment. The beta-radiation system uses a phosphorus-32 source delivered via automatic afterloader into a centering balloon catheter. Tandem positioning of the radiation wire was used for longer lesions (>22 mm of injured-segment length; 42% of patients). Duration of antiplatelet treatment (aspirin plus a thienopyridine) evolved over the study period: 39% of patients…