In addition to having a great benefit for our patients, this therapy could potentially save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. The seeds were delivered through a catheter temporarily placed inside the patient's artery and then withdrawn after a few minutes. The patients were randomized to receive either a placebo or active radiation seeds. Patients returned for follow-up examinations eight months after the therapy. Eighty-six percent of patients treated with radiation seeds had no recurrent blockage after eight months.
Beta radiation is a highly localized form of radiation.
It also exposes the medical team to significantly less radiation than the x-ray imaging associated with angioplasty procedures. Dr. Laskey and Dr. Sunthalaringam were principal investigators of the study at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dr. Laskey presented results from this study at the 49th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology on March 12, 2000.