Drug-eluting coronary stents in clinical practice : lessons from the "BAsel Stent Kosten-Effektivitäts Trials" (BASKET) : a review of the BASKET trials

In this review of the BAsel Stent Kosten-Effektivitäts Trial (BASKET) the trials and their impact on coronary stenting practice were examined, basing the clinical questions of each study on the findings of the previous study. Are the new drug-eluting stents (DES) cost-effective compared to standard bare-metal stents (BMS) if used in all patients? No. Are there specific subgroups of patients with a particular benefit? Yes. A "targeted stent use" was proposed for daily practice. What is the long-term safety of DES? Unexpected safety problems were observed. Was this a chance finding? No. However, with improved stenting techniques, newer stents and intensified antiplatelet regimens late problems were minimised as shown in the BASKET-PROspective Validation Examination (BASKET-PROVE). Further stent developments? Wait and see! - Many additional questions were raised and answered or are still under investigation. Obviously, answers were not always simple and needed a closer look and this is discussed. The BASKET trials proceeded not only from one question to the other, but also in size and methodology. From the restricted single-centre "local" BASKET study to multicentre international long-term trials, all prospective, randomized and investigator-driven. Their relevance was acknowledged by publications in major medical journals as well as by their impact on US and European practice guidelines and on DES research. These aspects are summarised in the present review, highlighting lessons learned from each study and commenting on the possibilities and difficulties of performing such clinical research in Switzerland.