Trial Will Look At Widening Angioplasty's Reach

September 29, 2005 08:41:08 PM PST

If the study finds that this potentially lifesaving treatment can be performed in community hospitals, it would help improve patient access to the therapy, say cardiologists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who are leading the study.

The first patients are expected to be enrolled in the study this fall and the study, which will include about 40 community hospitals across he country, should wrap up in 2008.

During angioplasty, a small balloon is inserted into a narrowed artery and inflated in order to widen the artery and improve blood flow. In many states, regulations limit the use of angioplasty in community hospitals to emergency situations, such as a heart attack. In non-emergency cases, patients must be transferred to a hospital that has a specialized heart surgery backup.

However, "there is a large and growing number of people who could benefit from angioplasty, and the procedure is being applied to more types of heart conditions," study senior investigator Dr Thomas Aversano, an interventional cardiologist and associate professor at the university's School of Medicine and its Heart Institute, said in a prepared statement.

"Many patients with coronary artery disease admitted to hospitals that do not have angioplasty available would benefit from transfer to a hospital where they can have angioplasty performed," Aversano said. "The ability to perform angioplasty at hospitals without on-site cardiac surgery will significantly improve access and outcomes for more than one-half of patients who would benefit from such a transfer but in fact are not transferred and consequently have a higher mortality."

An estimated 650,000 angioplasty procedures were performed on 640,000 Americans in 2002, according to the American Heart Association.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about angioplasty.

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 29, 2005

September 29, 2005 08:41:08 PM PST

Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of CenterWatch:

Hereditary Cancer Syndromes

Have you received results from the genetic test for the breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) or breast cancer 2 (BRCA2) mutations? This is a voluntary research study involving a one-hour phone or email interview. No travel is involved. All information will remain confidential. You must be between ages 18 to 35 and you must have already had the genetic testing and received the results. Research site located in Pittsburgh, Penn.

More Information

Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat705.html.

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Mycosis Fungoides

Physicians are seeking participants for this double-blind, randomized clinical research study of an investigational agent. Must have biopsy proven MF with a CD4 positive phenotype, MF stage IB to IVB, refractory or intolerant to at least two prior therapies, be male or female, at least 18 years of age and have signed informed consent. Research sites located throughout the United States.

More Information

Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat105.html.

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Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

The University of Virginia Health System Cancer Center seeks participants with non-Hodgkins lymphoma for a research study. The purpose of this study is to investigate which one of two dose regimens of rituximab does the best job of stabilizing cancer growth. All participants will receive rituximab intravenously once per week for four weeks. Research site located in Charlottesville, Va.

More Information

Please see http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/studies/cat203.html.

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