Consultants

Qualifications:

BSc Med Sci (hons) MBChB FRCP FRCPath MD (Res)

Special Interests:

Stem cell transplantation, Graft-versus-host disease, Chronic Myeloid leukaemia

Biography

Dr Fiona Dignan is a consultant in haemato-oncology and has been clinical lead for haematology since 2015. Her main clinical interests are acute leukaemia, chronic myeloid leukaemia and allogeneic transplantation. She undertook her haematology training at The Royal Marsden in London and developed a research interest in post-transplant complications including infection and graft-versus-host disease. She undertook an MD research degree from University College London on novel strategies for managing graft-versus-host disease which has led to a number of national and international presentations and peer-reviewed journal articles. She is the lead author of national clinical practice guidelines on graft-versus-host disease, respiratory viral infections and veno-occlusive disease following haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. She is treasurer of the British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and has been a member of the working party for the National Institutes of Health consensus project on chronic graft-versus-host disease. She is also a member of the British and American Societies for Haematology and a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh. She represents the north of England on the clinical reference group for bone marrow transplantation.

Contact Details

0161 276 3361

Publications

International Guidelines

Mohty M, Malard F, Abecassis M, Aerts E, Alaskar AS, Aljurf M, Arat M, Bader P, Baron F, Bazarbachi A, Blaise D, Ciceri F, Corbacioglu S, Dalle JH, Dignan F, Fukuda T, Huynh A, Masszi T, Michallet M, Nagler A, NiChonghaile M, Okamoto S, Pagliuca A, Peters C, Petersen FB, Richardson PG, Ruutu T, Savani BN, Wallhult E, Yakoub-Agha I, Duarte RF, Carreras E. Revised diagnosis and severity criteria for sinusoidal obstruction syndrome/veno-occlusive disease in adult patients: a new classification from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

Bone Marrow Transplant. 2016 Jul;51(7):906-12.

Lee SJ, Wolff D, Kitko C, Koreth J, Inamoto Y, Jagasia M, Pidala J, Olivieri A, Martin PJ, Przepiorka D, Pusic I, Dignan F, Mitchell SA, Lawitschka A, Jacobsohn D, Hall AM, Flowers ME, Schultz KR, Vogelsang G, Pavletic S. Measuring Therapeutic Response in Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease. National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Project on Criteria for Clinical Trials in Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease: IV. The 2014 Response Criteria Working Group Report

Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2015 Jun;21(6):984-99.

National Guidelines

Alfred A, Taylor PC, Dignan F, El-Ghariani K, Griffin J, Gennery AR, Bonney D, Das-Gupta E, Lawson S, Malladi RK, Douglas KW, Maher T, Guest J, Hartlett L, Fisher AJ, Child F, Scarisbrick JJ. The role of extracorporeal photopheresis in the management of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, graft-versus-host disease and organ transplant rejection: a consensus statement update from the UK Photopheresis Society. Br J Haematol. 2017 Feb 21. doi: 10.1111/bjh.14537. [Epub ahead of print]

Dignan FL, Clark A, Aitken C, Gilleece M, Jayakar V, Krishnamurthy P, Pagliuca A, Potter MN, Shaw B, Skinner R, Turner A, Wynn RF, Coyle P; Haemato-oncology Task Force of the British Committee for Standards in Haematology; British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation and the UK Clinical Virology Network. BCSH/BSBMT/UK clinical virology network guideline: diagnosis and management of common respiratory viral infections in patients undergoing treatment for haematological malignancies or stem cell transplantation. Br J Haematol. 2016 May;173(3):380-93

Dignan FL, Wynn RF, Hadzic N, Karani J, Quaglia A, Pagliuca A, Veys P, Potter MN; on behalf of the Haemato-oncology Task Force of the British Committee for Standards in Haematology and the British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.Diagnosis and Management of Veno-occlusive Disease (Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome) following Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. Br J Haematol. 2013 Sep 17. doi: 10.1111/bjh.12558. [Epub ahead of print]

Dignan FL, Clark A, Amrolia P, Cornish J, Jackson G, Mahendra P, Scarisbrick JJ, Taylor PC, Hadzic N, Shaw BE, Potter MN; on behalf of the Haemato-oncology Task Force of the British Committee for Standards in Haematology and the British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Diagnosis and management of acute graft-versus-host disease. Br J Haematol. 2012 Jul;158(1):30-45.

Dignan FL, Amrolia P, Clark A, Cornish J, Jackson G, Mahendra P, Scarisbrick JJ, Taylor PC, Shaw BE, Potter MN; on behalf of the Haemato-oncology Task Force of the British Committee for Standards in Haematology and the British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Diagnosis and management of chronic graft-versus-host disease. Br J Haematol. 2012 Jul;158(1):46-61.

Dignan FL, Scarisbrick JJ, Cornish J, Clark A, Amrolia P, Jackson G, Mahendra P, Taylor PC, Shah P, Lightman S, Fortune F, Kibbler C, Andreyev J, Albanese A, Hadzic N, Potter MN, Shaw BE; on behalf of the Haemato-oncology Task Force of the British Committee for Standards in Haematology and the British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Organ-specific management and supportive care in chronic graft-versus-host disease. Br J Haematol. 2012 Jul;158(1):62-78.

Original Articles

Gorcea CM, Tholouli E, Turner A, Saif M, Davies E, Battersby E, Dignan FL. Effective use of oral ribavirin for respiratory syncytial viral infections in allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Journal of Hospital Infection. 2017 Feb;95(2):214-217.

Routledge DJ, Tower C, Davies E, Scott M, Waller M, Burthem J, Dignan FL. Successful management of acute myeloid leukaemia in a twin pregnancy – a case report.

British Journal of Haematology 2016 Oct 21. doi: 10.1111/bjh.14418.

Scarisbrick JJ, Dignan FL, Tulpule S, Gupta ED, Kolade S, Shaw B, Evison F, Shah G, Tholouli E, Mufti G, Pagliuca A, Malladi R, Raj K. A multicentre UK study of GVHD following DLI: Rates of GVHD are high but mortality from GVHD is infrequent.

Bone Marrow Transplant. 2015 vol. 50 (1) pp 62-67

Nikolousis E, Nagra S, Pearce R, Perry J, Kirkland K, Byrne J, Dignan F, Tholouli E, Gilleece M, Russell N, Littlewood T, Cook M, Peniket A, Shaw BE, Cook G, Craddock C.

Impact of pre-transplant co-morbidities on outcome after alemtuzumab-based reduced intensity conditioning allo-SCT in elderly patients: A British Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation study. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2015 vol. 50 (1) pp 82-6

Das-Gupta E, Dignan F, Shaw B, Raj K, Malladi R, Gennery A, Bonney D, Taylor P, Scarisbrick J. Extracorporeal photopheresis for treatment of adults and children with acute GVHD: UK consensus statement and review of published literature. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2014 Oct;49(10):1251-8.

Dignan FL, Aguilar S, ScarisbrickJJ, Shaw BE, PotterMN, Cavenagh J, Apperley JF, Fielding AF, Pagliuca A, Raj K, Marks D, Peniket A, Crawley C, Koh MB, Child FJ Impact of Extracorporeal Photopheresis on Skin scores and Quality of Life in Patients with Steroid-refractory Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease Bone Marrow Transplant, 2014 May;49(5):704-8

Anthias C, Dignan FL, Morilla R, Morilla A, Ethell ME, Potter MN, Shaw BE.

Pre-transplant MRD predicts outcome following reduced-intensity and myeloablative allogeneic hemopoietic SCT in AML. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2014 Feb 10.

DignanFL, Potter MN, Ethell ME, Taylor M, Lewis L, Brennan J, McNamara L, Evans SO, Riley U, Davies FE, Dearden CE, Morgan GJ, Shaw BE. High readmission rates are associated with a significant economic burden and poor outcome in patients with grade III/IV acute GvHD. Clin Transplant. 2013 Jan-Feb;27(1):E56-63.

Dignan FL, Greenblatt D, Cox M, Cavenagh J, Oakervee H, Apperley JF, Fielding AK, Pagliuca A, Mufti G, Raj K, Marks DI, Amrolia P, Peniket A, Medd P, Potter MN, Shaw BE, Scarisbrick JJ. Efficacy of bimonthly extracorporeal photopheresis in refractory chronic mucocutaneous GVHD. Bone Marrow Transplant2012 Jun;47(6):824-30.

Dignan F, Evans S, Ethell M, Shaw B, Dearden C, Davies F, Treleaven J, Riley U, Morgan G, Potter M.An early CT-diagnosis based treatment strategy for invasive fungal infection in allogeneic transplant recipients using caspofungin first line: an effective strategy with low mortality.Bone Marrow Transplant 2009 Jul;44(1):51-6.

Dignan F, Gujral D, Ethell M, Evans S, Treleaven J, Morgan G, Potter M. Prophylactic defibrotide in allogeneic stem cell transplantation: minimal morbidity and zero mortality from veno-occlusive disease. Bone Marrow Transplant 2007 Jul; 40(1): 79-82.

Dignan F, Alvares C, Riley U, Ethell M, Cunningham D, Treleaven J, Ashley S, Bendig J, Morgan G, Potter M. Parainfluenza type 3 infection post stem cell transplant: high prevalence but low mortality. J Hosp Infect 2006 Aug; 63(4): 452-8.

Burke JP, Hay I, Dignan F, Goellner JR, Achenbach SJ, Oberg AL, Melton LJ. Long-Term Trends in Thyroid Carcinoma: A Population-Based Study in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1935-1999.Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2005 Jun; 80(6): 753-8.

Penson RT, Dignan FL, Lee H, Seiden MV, Gallagher CJ, Matulonis UA, Olson K, Gibbens I and Gore ME. Attitudes to Chemotherapy in Patients with Ovarian Cancer.Gynecologic Oncology 2004 Aug; 94(2):427-435.

Dignan FL, Abu-Arafeh I, Russell G. The Prognosis of Abdominal Migraine. Arch Dis Child 2001; 84: 415-418.

Dignan FL, Symon D, Abu-Arafeh I, Russell G. The Prognosis of the Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome. Arch Dis Child 2001; 84: 55-57.

Book Chapter

Dignan F, Scarisbrick J. Extracorporeal Photopheresis. In: Hamblin MR, Huang Y (eds) Harvard Medical School, BostonHandbook of Photomedicine Taylor & Francis 2013

Invited Contributions

Dignan F, Potter M. Haematopoetic Stem Cell Transplantation: An update. MIMS Oncology and Palliative Care Journal, 2010.

Penson RT, Dignan FL, Canellos GP, Picard CL, Lynch TJ. Burnout: Caring for the Caregivers. The Oncologist 2000; 5: 425-434. (Based on Schwartz centre round at Massachusetts General Hospital).

Correspondence

DignanFL, Manwani R, Potter MN, Ethell ME, Leonard H, Brennan J, Baker J, Shaw BE. A dedicated GvHD clinic may improve the quality of life for allogeneic stem cell transplant survivors. Clin Transplant. 2013 Jan-Feb;27(1):E1-2.

Mohammed K, Dignan F, Ethell ME, Davies FE, Morgan GJ, Riley U, Evans S, Potter MN, Shaw BE. An early computed tomography-guided antifungal treatment strategy is safe and efficacious in patients undergoing chemotherapy for high-risk acute leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma. 2011 Feb;52(2):339-40.

Khot A, Dignan F, Taylor S, Potter M, Cubitt D, Treleaven JG. Another case of PORN (bilateral progressive outer retinal necrosis) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant 2006 Jan; 37(1): 113-4.

Symon DN, Russell G, Abu-Arafeh I, Dignan F. Abdominal Migraine. Cephalagia 2003 Apr; 23 (3): 242; author reply 242.