Radiation to Prevent Restenosis in Leg Arteries

A study of a new catheterization technique utilizing low-dose radiation may reduce the restenosis rate in the leg arteries of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) to almost half that of patients receiving standard treatment.

The study is being conducted by researchers at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center (Chicago, IL, USA). The low-dose radiation is incorporated into the membrane of a balloon catheter, which compresses the artery blockage onto the sides of the artery and provides complete coverage of the radiation to the vessel wall. Since penetration depths of beta isotopes are limited to four or five mm in tissue or fluid, the new technique is better suited for treating larger arteries in the leg. Preliminary trials have shown a significant reduction in restenosis. One study revealed a restenosis rate of 28% in PAD patients receiving the radiation treatment versus a restenosis rate of 53% in those receiving standard treatment.

The catheter device, called the RDX Peripheral Radiation Delivery System, is the product of Radiance Medical Systems (Irvine, CA, USA; www.radiance.net). Currently, PAD patients may receive angioplasty and a stent, but 50-80% of them will experience restenosis. "The re-narrowing happens because cells in the artery wall divide and proliferate as a healing response to the injury caused by the angioplasty balloon or stent placement,” said Dr. Jeffrey Snell, co-director of the cardiac catheterization laboratories at Rush and principal investigator of the study.




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