title: Long-term clinical outcome of patients treated with beta-brachytherapy in routine clinical practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Only limited data exist regarding the long-term efficacy of beta-brachytherapy (beta-VBT) in routine clinical practice and the impact of the prolonged (>6 months) combined antiplatelet therapy after beta-VBT. Our aim is to examine the long-term clinical efficacy of routine beta brachytherapy (beta-VBT) followed by indefinite administration of combined antiplatelet therapy in patients at high restenotic risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-one patients with 65 lesions [de novo: 41, in-stent restenotic (ISR): 24] underwent intracoronary beta-VBT and were followed prospectively. All patients received indefinite administration of aspirin and clopidogrel, underwent routine angiography 6 months later and were followed-up clinically for 43.7 months (range: 32 to 52 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Acute success was achieved in 60/61 (98.4%) patients. Lesion length was 36.1 (+/-17.6) mm for the de novo and 22.0 (+/-9.8) mm for the ISR (p=0.001). Stents were implanted in 35/41 de novo and 7/24 ISR lesions (p<0.01). Six-month binary restenosis after successful beta-VBT was 35.9% (23/64). During follow-up patients with de-novo lesions who received a new stent during index procedure had a higher incidence of major cardiac events than patients with ISR lesions without a new stent (log rank test, p=0.02). Acute and late thrombotic events were reported at 6 patients, all with de novo lesions and stent implantation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Beta-VBT plus stenting in de novo lesions is related to an unacceptable high rate of thrombotic complications and clinical restenosis despite prolonged administration of combined antiplatelet therapy. Brachytherapy remains a reasonable option for patients with ISR lesions until full data from large randomized trials comparing drug eluting stents with brachytherapy are available.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, University Hospital of Ioannina, University Campus, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Nikas
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kalef-Ezra
authors.forename: Christos S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Katsouras
authors.forename: Periklis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tsekeris
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bozios
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pappas
authors.forename: Katerina K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Naka
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kotsia
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papamichael
authors.forename: Dimitrios A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Sideris
authors.forename: Lampros K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Michalis
mesh_terms: D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000379:methods; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D013988:Ticlopidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D013988:Ticlopidine; D001241:Aspirin