Brief Biography

Dr. Oussama Abla joined the faculty of the Department of Paediatrics at The Hospital for Sick Children in 2000. Dr. Abla is an Academic Clinician in the Division of Haematology/Oncology and a member of the Division’s Leukemia/Lymphoma and In-Patient Services Sections. Dr. Abla is an associate professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto. He received his MD degree from the University of Genoa, Italy in 1989. His post-graduate training included a paediatric residency at the Gaslini Children’s Hospital in Genoa and a paediatric haematology/oncology fellowship at SickKids in Toronto. Dr. Abla’s clinical interests include supportive care and paediatric leukemia/lymphomas with a special interest in T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL), Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), paediatric primary CNS lymphoma, as well as Langerhan’s cell Histiocytosis (LCH) and rare histiocytosis.

Areas of Specialty

Leukemia/Lymphoma, Supportive Care, Histiocytosis

Clinical Care Activities

Hodgkin's Lymphoma, T-cell Leukemia, Myeloid Leukemia
Oncology in-patient care
Childhood leukemia: T-cell ALL, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Acute
Promyelocytic Leukemia
Childhood Lymphomas, rare lymphomas
Childhood Histiocytic disorders: LCH lymphomas and rare histiocytic disorders

Academic Background

Haematology/Oncology Fellowship
The Hospital for Sick Children, 1995 to 1997

Assistant Professor of Paediatrics
The Hospital for Sick Children, 2000 to June 2010

Associate Professor of Paediatrics
The Hospital for Sick Children, July 2010 to Present

Research Interests

Rare Histiocytic Disorders
Langerhans' Cell Histiocytosis
Paediatric Primary CNS Lymphoma
Supportive Care in children with cancer
Childhood leukemias
Parents' Educational Tools

Future Research Interests

Biology of Langerhan’s cell histiocytosis
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in very young children

Achievements

Novopharm & Childhood Cancer Foundation Grant ($75000): “The effects of additional videotaped information on the experience of parents of children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)”. (2008)

Author of “All About ALL”: An educational DVD for parents of children with newly diagnosed ALL. (2008)

Editor-in-Chief of “The Hospital for Sick Children Handbook of Supportive Care in Pediatric Oncology”. (2009)

Primary Investigator “International Rare Histiocytic Disorders Registry” Histiocytic Associations of America and Canada grants.

Medical/Scientific Organizations-Membership

American Society of Hematology, Active Member (1996-Present)
The Children’s Oncology Group (COG), Associate member (2002-Present)
International Primary CNS Lymphoma Group (IPCG), member (2005-Present)
International Histiocyte Society, member (2007-Present)
LCH IV – International Study Group: member (2008-Present)
Rare Histiocytosis Committee – chair (2009-Present)

Publications

Dini G, Lanino E, Garaventa A, Paolucci P, Amici A, Locatelli F, Colleselli P, Boni L, Dallorso S, Abla O, De Bernardi B: Unpurged ABMT for Neuroblastoma: AIEOP-BMT Experience. Bone Marrow Transplant 1991: 7(2): pp 92.

Dini G, Lanino E, Garaventa A, Paolucci P, Amici A, Locatelli F, Colleselli P, Boni L, Dallorso S, Abla O, De Bernardi B: Unpurged autologous bone marrow transplantation for neuroblastoma: the AIEOP-BMT group experience. Bone Marrow Transplant 1991: 7(3): pp 109-11.

Dini G, Picco P, Gandullia P, Abla O, Leveratto L, Lanino E, Garaventa A, Dallorso S: Growth and endocrine assessment in children undergoing bone marrow transplant: the "G. Gaslini" experience. Bone Marrow Transplant 1991: 8(1): pp 61-63.

Dini G, Abla O, Uderzo C, Polchi P, Locatelli F, Di Bartolomeo P, Arcese W, Messina C, Bandini G, Andolina M, Paolucci P, Van Lint MT, Boni L, Bacigalupo M: Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in children with ANL: Italian Experience. Bone Marrow Transplant 1991: 7(3): pp 76-77.

Dini G, Lanino E, Abla O, Uderzo C, Plochi P, Locatelli F, Di Bartolomeo P, Arcese W, Rossetti F, Rosti G, Andolina M, Boni L, Paolucci P, Van Lint MT, Bacigalupo A: Allogeneic BMT for Acute Non Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ANL) in children: Italian experience. Journal of Cell Biochemistry 1992: Suppl: pp 61A.

Dini G, Boni L, Abla O, Uderzo C, Polchi P, Locatelli F, Di Bartolomeo P, Arcese W, Iori AP, Rossetti F: Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in children with acute myelogenous leukemia in first remission. Associazione Italiana di Ematologia e Oncologia Pediatrica (AIEOP) and the Gruppo Italiano per il Trapianto di Midollo Osseo (GITMO). Bone Marrow Transplant 1994: 13(6): pp 771-6.

Abla O, Naqvi A, Ye C, Bhattacharjee R, Shago M, Abdelhaleem M, Weitzman S: Leptomeningeal Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma in a Child with Minimal Bone Marrow Involvement. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2004: 26(7): pp 469-72.

Gassas A, Grant R, Richardson S, Dupuis L, Doyle J, Allen U, Abla O, Sung L: Predictors of Viridans Streptococal Shock Syndrome in Bacteremic Children with Cancer and Stem-Cell Transplant Recipients. J Clin Oncol 2004: 22(7): pp 1222-27.

Gassas A, Kirby M, Weitzman S, Nagan B, Abla O, Doyle J: Hepatosplenic Gamma-delta T-Cell Lymphoma in a 10-year-old boy Successfully Treated with Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation. American Journal of Hematology 2004: 75(2): pp 113-4.

Abla O, Sandlund J, Sung L, Brock P, Corbett R, Kirov I, Griffin T, Blaser S, Weitzman S: A Case Series of Pediatric Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma- favourable outcome without cranial irradiation. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2006 Dec; 47(7): 880-5.

Abla O, Gassas A, Stevens R, Grant R, Abdelhaleem M: BCR-ABL positive T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia associated with parvovirus B19 infection. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2006; 28(2): 98-99.

Abdelhaleem M, Shago M, Abla O: TEL-AML1 fusion in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with L3 morphology. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2007 Aug;49(2): 217.

Abla O, Ye CC. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia with massive myelofibrosis. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2006 sep; 28(9):633-4.

Abla O, Weitzman S. Primary CNS lymphoma in children. Neurosurg Focus 21 (5): E8 , 2006.

Truong T, Beyene J, Hitzler J, Abla O, Maloney AM, Weitzman S, Sung L. Features at Presentation Predict Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at low Risk for Tumor Lysis Syndrome. Cancer, 2007 Oct 15; 110(8): 1832-9

Abdelhaleem M, Shago M, Sayeh E, Abla O. Childhood myeloid/natural killer precursor acute leukemia with der(5) t(4;5)(q31;q31.3) and t(14;17)(q32;q23). Cancer genetics and Cytogenetics. 2007 oct 15; 178(2): 141-3.

Bartakke S, Abdelhaleem M, Abla O. Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia simulating multifocal osteomyelitis. Br J Haematol, 2007 Oct; 139(1):2.

Alkalbani N, Weitzman S, Abdelhaleem M, Carcao M, Abla O. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia presenting with gross hematuria. Paediatrics & Child Health, 2007; 12(7): 573-574.

Scheinemann K, Weitzman S, Hitzler J, Doyle J, Abla O. Isolated central nervous system relapse in childhood acute promyelocytic leukemia. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2008; 30 (2):160-2.

Abla O, Dror Y, Shago M. Translocation (X;10) in a child with therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia following chemotherapy for Ewing’s sarcoma. Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics. 2007 Oct 15; 178(2): 168-9.

Abdullah S, Diezi M, Sung L, Dupuis L, Geary D, Abla O. Sevelamer hydrochloride: A novel treatment of hyperphosphatemia associated with tumor lysis syndrome in children. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2008 Jul; 51(1):59-61.

Hayes JA, Lopez AV, Pehora CM, Robertson JM, Abla O, Crawford MW. Co Administration of Propofol and Remifentanil for Lumbar puncture in children: Dose-Response and an Evaluation of Two Dose Combinations. Anesthesiology, 2008. 109; 613-8

Bartakke S, Abla O, Weitzman S. Successful use of alemtuzumab in a child with refractory T-cell post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 2008 oct; 30(10): 787-8.

Manjomi F, Armstrong D, Abla O, Naqvi A, Weitzman S, Hitzler J. Lumbar spinal fluid collections in children treated with intrathecal chemotherapy: Elevated CSF protein as a diagnostic clue. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2008;51: 295-298.

Abla O, Friedman J, Doyle J. Performing bone marrow aspiration and biopsy in children: Recommended guidelines. Paediatr Child Health 2008; 13(6):499-501.

Breakey V, Abdelhaleem M, Weitzman S, Abla O. Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis Onset during Induction Therapy for Precursor B-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol; 2008 Dec; 30(12): 956-8.

Abla O, Somers G. Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia presenting as a maxillary mass. BloodMed; November 11, 2008; Images 161.

Abla O, Weitzman S, Minkov M, McClain KL, Visser J, Filipovich A, Grois N. Diabetes Insipidus in Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis: When is Treatment Indicated? Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009 May; 52(5): 555-6.

Lee Chong A, Ngan B, Weitzman S, Abla O. Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma of the Ovary in a child. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol, 2009 Aug 13 (Epub).

Afzal S, Ethier MC, Dupuis LL, Tang L, Punnett AS, Richardson S, Allen U, Abla O, Sung L. Risk Factors for Infection-Related Outcomes During Induction Therapy for Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2009; 28(12): 1064-8.

Breakey VR, Meyn S, Ng V, Allen C, Dokal I, Lansdorp P, Abla O, Dror Y. Hepatitis-Associated Aplastic Anemia Presenting as a Familial Bone marrow Failure Syndrome. J Pediatr Hematolo Oncol, 2009; 31(11):884-7.

Abla O, Weitzman S, Egeler RM.  Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis: Current concepts and treatments. Cancer Treat Rev. 2010; 36(4):354-9.

Klaassen RJ, Krahn M, Gaboury I, Hughes J, Anderson R, Grundy P, Ali SK, Jardin L, Abla O, Silva M, Barnard D, Cappelli M. Evaluating the Ability to Detect Change of Health-Related Quality of life in Children with Hodgkin Disease. Cancer, 2010; 116(6): 1608-14.

Klaassen RJ, Krahn M, Gaboury I, Barr RD, Hughes J, Rogers P, Anderson R, Whitehead M, Ali SK, Yanofsky R, Jardin L, Abla O, Silva M, Carret AS, Barnard D, Cappelli M. Nurses Provide Valuable Proxy Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Hodgkin Disease. Cancer, 2010; 116(6): 1602-7.

Junqueira B, Connolly B, Abla O, Tomlinson G, Amaral J. Severe neutropenia at time of port insertion is not a risk factor for catheter-associated infections in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer, 2010; 116(18): 4368-75.

Trakymiene S, Abla O. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Presenting with Hair Graying. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol, 2010; 32(5): 417-8.

Abla O, Weitzman S, Blay JY, O’Neill BP, Abrey LE, Neuwelt E, Doolittle ND, Baehring J, Pradhan K, Martin SE, Guerrera M, Shah S, Ghesquiere H , Silver M, Betensky RA and Batchelor T. Primary CNS Lymphoma in Children and Adolescents: A Descriptive Analysis from the International Primary CNS Lymphoma Collaborative Group (IPCG). Clin Cancer Res. 2011 Jan 15; 17(2): 346-352.