Brief Biography

Dr. Adam Gassas

Dr. Adam Gassas joined the full-time Sickkids faculty in the Division of Haematology/Oncology on July 1, 2003. Dr. Gassas is a staff physician in the Division of Haematology/Oncology and an assistant professor in University of Toronto. He was trained in pediatrics, pediatric haematology/oncology and stem cell transplantation in London, U.K. and also finished his haematology/oncology fellowship in Sickkids, Toronto. Dr. Gassas main interest and academic focus is in pediatric leukemias and lymphomas especially in the area of translational research in the field of paediatric stem cell (bone marrow) transplantation particularly transplant outcome measures, graft-versus-leukemia effect, cord stem cell transplantation and stem cell transplantation for genetic-metabolic diseases.

Clinical Care Activities
Bone marrow transplantation for malignant haematology disorders

Academic Background

Haematology/Oncology Fellowship
The Hospital for Sick Children, 2001-07-01 - 2003-07-01

Research Interests

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, decreased conditioning regimens and graft versus host disease.

Future Research Interests

Alternative Donor Transplant, non-myeloablative conditioning, cord and peripheral stem cell transplantation.

Publications

Aurora P, Gassas A, Ehtisham S, Whitehead B, Whitmore P, Rees PG, Tsang VT, Elliott MJ, de Leval M: The effect of pre-lung transplant clinical status on post-transplant survival of children with cystic fibrosis. European Respirology Journal 2000: pp 1061-4. CPA

2. Gassas A, Sung L, Doyle JJ, Clarke JT, Saunders FE: Life-threatening pulmonary hemorrhages post bone marrow transplantation in Hurier syndrome. Report of three cases and review of the literature. Bone Marrow Transplant 2003: 32(2): pp 213-5. PA

3. Gassas A, Freedman MH, Mandel K, Dror Y: Reply to Hasle et al. Leukemia 2003: 17 (12): pp 2531-2. PA

4. Gassas A, Kirby M, Weitzman S, Abla O, Ngan B, Doyle JJ: Hepatosplenic gamma delta Lymphoma in a 10-year old boy treated successfully with hematopoeitic stem cell transplantation. American Journal of Hematology 2004: 75(2): pp 113-114. PA

5. Gassas A, Dupuis L, Grant R, Richardson S, Allen U, Abla O, Sung L: Predictors of viridans streptococcal shock syndrome in children with cancer and stem cell transplantation recipients. Journal of Clinical Oncology 2004: 22(7): pp 1222-1227. PA

6. MacNeil S, Ho M, Hawkins C, Gassas A, Zielenska M, Baruchel S: C-kit expression and mutational analysis in paediatric medulloblastoma. Pediatric Developmental Pathology 2004: 7(5): pp 493-498. C

7. Gassas A, Doyle JJ, Weitzman S, Freedman MH, Hitzler JK, Sharathkumar A, Dror Y: A basic classification and a comprehensive examination of pediatric Myeloproliferative syndromes. Journal of Paediatric Haematology/Oncology 2005: 27(4): pp 192-196. PA

8. Abla O, Gassas A, Stevens R, Grant R, Abelhaleem M: BCR-ABL Positive T-Cell ALL associated with parvovirus B19 infection. Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology 2006: 28(2): pp 98-99. CPA

9. Gassas A, Kennedy J, Green G, Connolly B, Cohen J, Dag-Elams U, Bouffet E: Risk of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections due to gastrostomy feeding tube insertion in pediatric patients with brain tumors. Pediatric Neurosurgery 2006: 42(2): pp 95-99. PA

10. Gassas A, Sung L, Saunders F, Doyle J: Comparative outcome of stem cell transplantation for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia following cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation or VP16 and total body irradiation conditioning regimens. Bone Marrow Transplantation 2006: 38(11): pp 739-43. PA

11. Al-Faris, Al-Harbi T, Goia G, Pappo A, Doyle J, Gassas A: Does Consolidation with Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation Improve the Outcome of Children with Metastatic or Relapsed Ewing's Sarcoma? Pediatric Blood and Cancer 2007: 49(2): pp 190-195. SRI

12. Gassas A, Evans AW, Armstrong C, Doyle JJ: Open wound chronic skin graft-versus-host-disease. Are these wounds ischemic? Pediatric Transplantation Journal 2007: 11(1): pp 101-4. PA

13. Khanani M, Al-Ahmari A, Tellier R, Allen U, Richardson S, Doyle JJ, Gassas A: Human herpesvirus 7 in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Pediatric Blood Cancer 2007: 48: pp 567-70. SRI

14. Ishaqi MK, Afzal S, Dupuis A, Doyle J, Gassas A: Early lymphocyte recovery post-allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is associated with significant graft-versus-leukemia effect without increase in graft-versus-host disease in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. E-pub. Bone Marrow Transplant 2007. SRI

15. Bulley S, Gassas A, Dupuis LL, Aplenc R, Beyene J, Greenberg ML, Doyle JJ, Sung L: Inferior outcomes for overweight children undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation. British Journal of Haematology 2007: 140 (2): pp 214-7. CPA

16. Gassas A, Sung L, Saunders EF, Doyle JJ: Graft-versus-Leukemia Effect in Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Significantly Lower Relapse Rate in Unrelated Transplantations. Bone Marrow Transplantation 2007: 40: pp 951-5. PA

17. Morel CF, Gassas A, Doyle JJ, Clarke JT: Unsuccessful treatment attempt: cord blood stem cell transplantation in a patient with Niemann-Pick disease type A. E-pub. Journal of Inherited Metabolic Disease 2007: 30(6): pp 987. CPA

18. Gassas A, Ishaqi MK, Afzal S, Dupuis A, Doyle JJ: Outcome of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia in third complete remission: a vital role for graft-versus-host-disease/graft-versus-leukemia effect in survival. British Journal of Haematology 2008: 140 (1): pp 86-9. PA

19. Gassas A, Ishaqi MK, Afzal S, Finkelstein-Schecter T, Dupuis A, Doyle JJ: A comparison of the outcomes of children with acute myelogenous leukemia in either first or second complete remission (CR1 vs CR2) following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at a single transplant center. Bone Marrow Transplant. PA

20. Deborah Tomlinson, MN, RN, Dip. Cancer Nursing. John J. Isitt, Richard L. Barron, M.S., John Doyle, Peter Judd, Gassas A, Ahmed Naqvi, Lillian Sung. Determining the understandability and acceptability of an oral mucositis daily questionnaire. . Journal of Pediatric Nursing. C

21. L.L. Dupuis 1,2,3,4 RPh, MScPhm, FCSHP, C. Sibbald2 BScPhm, T. Schechter3 MD, M. Ansari5 MD, Gassas A,3 MD, Y. Théorêt6 PhD, M.A. Champagne5 MD, J. Doyle3,4 MD. IV Busulfan Dose Individualization in Children undergoing Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant: Limited Sampling Strategies. Biology of blood and marrow transplantation. C