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Professor Feras Abu Saadeh

Clinical Associate Professor (Obstetrics)
COOMBE WOMENS HOSPITAL
      
Profile Photo

Professor Feras Abu Saadeh

Clinical Associate Professor (Obstetrics)
COOMBE WOMENS HOSPITAL


Feras obtained his medical degree (MB ChB) in Sebha Medical University in 2000. He then completed 5 years of post graduate training in obstetrics and gynaecology in Maqased Hospital, Jerusalem, before arriving in Ireland in 2005. Since 2006 he is a member of the Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist (UK), Royal College of Physician (Ireland) and member of the British Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (BSCCP). In 2008, he was appointed as lecturer at Cork University Maternity Hospital where he played a significant role in undergraduate teaching and was involved in the establishment and first year of operation of the first Robotic theatre in the country. Feras joined St. James's hospital in 2009 and was instrumental in transforming the gynaecology services from open traditional surgery to minimal access surgery. His research lab located in the Institute of Molecular Medicine/ Trinity College focus on biomarker for ovarian cancer and cancer associated thrombosis. His research was published in international peer reviewed journals. Feras has an MD from Trinity College Dublin and he is an RCOG accredited subspecialist in Gynaecology Oncology. Since 2013, he is working as a Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist at St. James's hospital, Dublin and is a senior clinical lecturer for Trinity College Dublin.
  DEEP VENOUS THROMBOSIS   Gynaecology oncology   OVARIAN-CANCER   Thrombosis   VENOUS THROMBOSIS
Project Title
  A risk model for prediction of venous thromboembolism in gynaecological cancer patients post surgery
From
2013
To
2017
Summary
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common cause of death in patients with solid tumours. Cancer itself causes a hypercoagulable state, in addition chemotherapy and surgery enhance the risk. Gynaecological cancers have been associated with high rates of VTE which is excacerbated by pelvic surgery and chemotherapy. A recent study in our centre showed that one third of VTE in ovarian cancer patients occurs within 5 days of surgery despite heparin prophylaxis. Recently, clinical risk models have been developed to predict VTE in patients undergoing chemotherapy, these models have been shown to be more powerful when combined with haemostatic biomarkers. Thrombus formation is complex in cancer and is thought to result from a release of procoagulant material from the tumour combined with damage to the endothelium as a result of chemotherapy and surgery. Global tests of hypercoagulability which capture these effects are therefore attractive as determinants of thrombotic risk. Calibrated automated thrombograpy (CAT) is a recently developed global test which measures thrombin generation in plasma. Increased thrombin generation is predictive of VTE in a variety of clinical settings. The overarching aim of this project is to develop and validate a specific risk scoring model for VTE risk in gynaecological cancer patients using a combination of easily available clinical and laboratory parameters and haemostatic biomarkers. In a large population of gynaecological cancer patients, we will identify the key risk factors for VTE and use them to derive a risk score model. Based on our pilot data, we believe that a thrombin generation test may be a useful biomarker for VTE in gynaecological cancer. By understanding the mechanisms by which gynaecological cancer increases procoagulant activity, we will optimise a specific thrombin generation assay which when combined with the derived risk score model will accurately identify gynaecological cancer patients at high risk of VTE.
Funding Agency
HRB
Project Title
  Towards increased awareness and understanding of the risk of thrombosis in gynaecological cancers
From
2015
To
2017
Summary
A recent survey of patients who suffered a thrombosis during their cancer journey showed that, generally, patients are not warned about the risk of clots during cancer and are not told what to look out for. In addition research by our group has shown that only 45% of gynaecologists in Europe are using the correct guidelines for thrombosis prevention. The aim of this project is to increase awareness among patients regarding thrombosis and to provide an opportunity for knowledge exchange between gynaecologist and scientists working in the area
Funding Agency
HRB
Project Title
 Gynaecological cancer patients experience of extended LMWH prophylaxis post surgery.
From
2018
To
2019
Summary
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common post-operative complication in cancer patients associated with high mortality rates. The presence of a gynaecological malignancy increases the rate of post operative VTE fourfold compared with patients with benign disease. Among cancer patients who develop a venous thromboembolism postoperatively, 40% will do so 21 days after surgery(1). Among endometrial cancer patients diagnosed with venous thromboembolism, a recent study of a large national quality database found that 73% of minimally invasive surgery and 43% of open surgery patients are diagnosed with a venous thromboembolism after hospital discharge (2). In line with these findings, the American College of Chest Physicians recommends the use of extended duration prophylaxis for patients with cancer undergoing abdomino-pelvic surgery (3). From May 2012, all patients undergoing surgery for a gynaecological malignancy in our centre receive 28 days extended LMWH prophylaxis post surgery. Studies in other centres have reported that translation of the guidelines for prophylaxis into clinical practice has been problematic (4). Introduction of extended prophylaxis is an additional burden on the cancer patient as they are responsible for purchasing, and in many cases, self-injecting the medication. Additional educational and support services are also required in the community for these patients. In other patient groups, lack of education and a negative opinion toward injection has affected compliance (5). The cancer patient may have additional difficulty as they are managing multiple symptoms and treatments. Among gynaecological cancer patients, the patient experience of extended prophylaxis has not been documented and compliance is largely unknown.
Funding Agency
LeoPharma
Project Title
 A study to determine the effects of extended (28 days) LMWH prophylaxis on the incidence of venous thromboembolism in gynaecological cancer patients post surgery- 5 year review.
From
2018
To
2020
Summary
Gynaecological cancers, and in particular adenocarcinomas are associated with a very high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) with rates as high as 42% reported for clear cell cancer of the ovary . Patients are particularly at risk during the postoperative period where VTE occurs in 6-7% of patients despite LMWH prophylaxis. In addition, recent evidence has suggested that a substantial proportion of VTE occurs beyond hospital stay. Among gynaecological cancer patients who develop VTE, 40% occur > 21 days post surgery . Minimally invasive surgery is increasingly used for gynaecological cancer surgery, although this has significantly reduced the incidence of VTE, it has not eliminated this risk post surgery [4. Among patients who suffer a VTE following minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer, 73% were diagnosed with a VTE after discharge compared with 43% for open surgery patients. The mean time to VTE was 10 days for minimally invasive surgery and 14 days for open surgery patients. A randomised trial comparing 28 days prophylaxis with LMWH following major abdominal surgery for cancer with 7 days prophylaxis showed a 60% reduction in VTE in the extended prophylaxis group without any substantial risk of bleeding.
Funding Agency
LeoPharma
Project Title
 Lymph node metastasis and thrombosis risk in Gynaecological cancer patients post surgery
From
2019
To
2021
Summary
Gynaecological cancer is associated with an increased incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) even with appropriate thromboprophylaxis. The risk is greatest following surgery and can persist for up to 6-12 months post surgery. The focus of our research group is to determine clinical and haemostatic biomarkers for VTE post surgery in order to identify high risk gynaecological cancer patients who may benefit from more tailored LMWH prophylaxis Lymph node dissection (LND) is a common procedure in gynaecological cancer surgery and increases the complications and complexity of the surgery. Reports in other cancers suggest an association between lymph node metastasis and post operative thrombo embolic complications. However there is very little data on gynaecological cancers. In addition, none of the current risk scores for thrombosis account for LND, The aim of our study is to investigate the role of lymph node metastasis in VTE following both open and laparoscopic surgery for gynaecological cancer.
Funding Agency
LeoPharma

Details Date
Editorial Board of Advances in Modern Oncology Research 2015
Medical Advisory Board of OvaCare 2012
Editorial Board of International Journal of Gynecology & Clinical Practice 2015
National representative at ENYGO 2013
Chair the session on women cancer and thrombosis of The 7th International Symposium on Women's Health Issues in Thrombosis and Haemostasis (WITH)
forum/dicussion group Expert meeting, Thrombosis in women with cancer
Member of the National Cancer Control Programme guideline group
Language Skill Reading Skill Writing Skill Speaking
Arabic Fluent Fluent Fluent
English Fluent Fluent Fluent
Details Date From Date To
Member of Royal College of Obstetrician & Gynaecologist 2006 Date
National representative at European Network of Young Gynaecological Oncology 2011 2013
Member of Royal College of Physicians of Ireland 2006 Date
Member of Irish Medical Council "Full Registration" 2005 Date
Member of British Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology 2009 Date
Member of International Society of Ultrasound in Obsetrics & Gynaecology 2011 Date
Member of European Society of Gynaecological Oncology 2011 Date
Member of Jordan Medical Association "Full Registration" 1999 Date
Member and Founder of Palestinian Society of Obstetrics & Gynaecology 2001 Date
PelvEx Collaborative ., The empty pelvis syndrome: a core data set from the PelvEx collaborative., The British journal of surgery, 111, (3), 2024, pznae042 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
O'Sullivan NJ, Temperley HC, Horan MT, Kamran W, Corr A, O'Gorman C, Saadeh F, Meaney JM, Kelly ME., Role of radiomics as a predictor of disease recurrence in ovarian cancer: a systematic review., Abdominal radiology (New York), 2024, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Lewis F, Beirne J, Henderson B, Norris L, Cadoo K, Kelly T, Martin C, Hurley S, Kanjuga M, O'Driscoll L, Gately K, Oner E, Saini V, Brooks D, Selemidis S, Kamran W, Haughey N, Maguire P, O'Gorman C, Saadeh FA, Ward MP, O'Leary JJ, O'Toole SA., Unravelling the biological and clinical challenges of circulating tumour cells in epithelial ovarian carcinoma., Cancer letters, 2024, p217279 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Ffrench B, Kashdan E, Huang Y, Spillane CD, Cocchiglia S, Charmsaz S, Varešlija D, O'Brien C, Scholz D, Martin C, Gallagher M, Brooks DA, Brooks RD, Selemidis S, Gleeson N, AbuSaadeh F, O'Riain C, Kamran W, Flavin R, Young L, O'Toole SA, O'Leary JJ., CTC-5: A novel digital pathology approach to characterise circulating tumour cell biodiversity., Heliyon, 9, (1), 2023, pe13044 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Mohamed BM, Ward MP, Bates M, Spillane CD, Kelly T, Martin C, Gallagher M, Heffernan S, Norris L, Kennedy J, Saadeh FA, Gleeson N, Brooks DA, Brooks RD, Selemidis S, O'Toole S, O'Leary JJ., Ex vivo expansion of circulating tumour cells (CTCs)., Scientific reports, 13, (1), 2023, p3704 - 3704, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Wiktoria Irena Batog, Ciarán Ó Riain, Feras Abu Saadeh, The dilemma of managing thyroid gland after incidental diagnosis of malignant struma Ovarii. Is radical thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine Necessary? A case report and literature review, Gynecologic Oncology Reports, 47, 2023, p101189 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Lucy A. Norris, Feras Abu Saadeh, "Risk of venous thromboembolism and bleeding after major surgery for ovarian cancer: standard in-hospital versus extended duration of thromboprophylaxis": Comment, Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, 21, (6), 2023, p1681--1683 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Kelly TE, Spillane CL, Ward MP, Hokamp K, Huang Y, Tewari P, Martin CM, Norris LA, Mohamed BM, Bates M, Brooks R, Selemidis S, Brooks DA, Kamran W, Saadeh FA, O'Toole SA, O'Leary JJ., Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 is associated with high-grade serous ovarian cancer metastasis and is reduced in patients who have received neoadjuvant chemotherapy., Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, 11, 2023, p1150991 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Batog, WI, Maguire P, O'Toole SA, Norris L, Abu Saadeh F, Identification of groin node metastasis in squamous vulval cancer using pre-operative [18F] FDG-PET/CT. Can unnecessary lymphadectomy be prevented?, International Journal of Gynaecological Cancer, European Society for Gynaecological Oncology, Berlin, October 2022, 32, (Supplement 2), 2022, pp1590 - 1590, Conference Paper, PUBLISHED  URL
Ward MP, O'Toole SA, Abu Saadeh F, Marchocki Z, Ibrahim EM, Martin F, Gleeon N, O'leary JJ, Norris LA, Mechanisms of cancer associated thrombosis in gynaecological cancer patients- tumour or treatment effect?, Research Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis, International Society for Thrombosis and Haemostasis, London, July 2022, 6, (Supplement 2), Wiley, 2022, ppPB0752 - PB0752, Conference Paper, PUBLISHED  URL
  

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Feras Abu Saadeh, HPV-NEGATIVE VULVAR SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA IN A 21-YEAR-OLD PATIENT, by Ferreira, Dânia; Almeida, Amélia; Patrício, Vanda; Petiz, Almerinda , BMJ Case Reports, 2019, Review, PUBLISHED
Feras Abu Saadeh, PALB2, ATM and Ovarian Cancer, Review of PALB2, ATM and Ovarian Cancer, by arbajal Mamani, Semiramis; Markham, Merry; Castagno, Jacqueline; Cardenas Goicoechea, Joel , BMJ CASE REPORTS , 2019, Review, SUBMITTED
Feras Abu Saadeh, Cancer and thrombosis, Real life experience, Joint National Haematology /Obstetrics Study day, Cork, 2018, Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
Feras Abu Saadeh, Benign Metastasizing Leiomyoma to the lungs: a rare cause of pulmonary nodules, Review of Benign Metastasizing Leiomyoma to the lungs: a rare cause of pulmonary nodules, by Campanha, Rafaela; Malheiro, Mariana; Rosa, Rita; Barata, Catarina , BMJ CASE REPORTS , 2018, Review, PUBLISHED
Feras Abu Saadeh, The bidirectional association among female hormone-related cancers: breast, ovary, and uterine corpus" for Cancer Medicine., Review of The bidirectional association among female hormone-related cancers: breast, ovary, and uterine corpus" for Cancer Medicine., by Min‐Chi Chen Kuan‐Der Lee Chang‐Hsien Lu Ting‐Yao Wang Shih‐Hao Huang Chao‐Yu Chen , cancer Medicine, 2018, Review, PUBLISHED
Feras Abu Saadeh, Intravenous leiomyomatosis with skip metastasis, Review of Intravenous leiomyomatosis with skip metastasis, by Yunzhu Li; Qi Miao; Ninghai Cheng; Guotao Ma , World Journal of Surgical Oncology, 2018, Review, PUBLISHED
Feras Abu Saadeh, Bowel Injury in Laparoscopic Gynaecology Cancer, GLOS course, Dublin, 2017, RCSI, Invited Talk, ACCEPTED
Feras Abu Saadeh, LMWH for women with cancer and VTE, how long and what dose, Expert meeting, Thrombosis in women and cancer , Spain , 2017, Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
Feras Abu Saadeh, The 7th international Symposium on Women's Health Issues in Thrombosis and Haemostasis , 2017, Spain , Notes: [chairing the session on thrombosis and cancer ], Meetings /Conferences Organised, PUBLISHED
Feras Abu Saadeh, Institute Spring Meeting, Joint meeting of IOG and the Irish Society of Interventional Radiology, 2017, Notes: [Chairing the session of Cancer and pregnancy ], Meetings /Conferences Organised, PUBLISHED

  


Page 1 of 3
Award Date
1st Class honours, Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology 1999
Best oral presentation, ICOGPM 1/12/2012
Best oral presentation, JOGS 24/11/2014