Dr Cecily Forsyth

Dr Cecily Forsyth

Clinical Haematologist 
MBBS (HONS), FRACP, FRCPA

Dr Cecily Forsyth graduated in medicine from the University of Sydney, and after completing her training in haematology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, she moved to the Central Coast of NSW to set-up practice as a clinical haematologist in 1996. She was appointed to the Central Coast Local Health District as a VMO Haematologist at Wyong Hospital in 1999.  

She provides holistic and comprehensive care to patients with a wide range of haematological disorders. 

She has a passion for myeloproliferative neoplasms 
(MPN) and has contributed to several national 
and international research collaborations in myeloproliferative neoplasms. She is a member of the MPN subcommittee for the ALLG and an advisor to the MPN Alliance Australia.

She has over 45 publications in peer-reviewed journals, many of which are MPN-related. She has an interest in the use of integrative medicine to improve symptoms and quality-of-life for patients living with MPNs.

Her other medical passions include teaching and training of medical students, junior doctors and nursing staff, and improving access to clinical trials for patients living in regional centres.

Current Appointments

Central Coast Local Health District Gosford and Wyong Hospital

Gosford Private Hospital

Brisbane Waters Private Hospital

Specialist Qualifications and Affiliations

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (Hons)

Fellow of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians

Fellow of The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia

Publications

  1. Kulasekaraji AG, Lehtinen A-E, Forsyth C, Gandhi S, Griffin M, et al. Phase II trials of zilucoplan in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Haematologica. 2024 March;109(3).

  2. Terriou L, Lee JW, Forsyth C, Griffin M, Szer J, Röth A, Gustovic P, Metzger J, Patel AS, Patriquin CJ. Long-term effectiveness of eculizumab: data from the International PNH registry. Eur J Haematol. 2023 Nov;111(5):796-804.

  3. Ng WY, Erber WN, Grigg A, Dunne K, Perkins A, Forsyth C, Ross DM. Variability of bone marrow biopsy reporting affects accuracy of diagnosis of myeloproliferative neoplasms: data from the ALLG MPN01 registry, Pathology, 2023, ISSN 0031-3025, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pathol.2023.09.012

  4. Murton A, Forsyth C, Ross DM, Grigg A.Significant heterogeneity in management of calreticulin-mutated essential thrombocythemia and its progression to myelofibrosis: results of a national survey. Leukemia & Lymphoma. 2023 Aug;64(12):2018-2025.  DOI: 1080/10428194.2023.2242992

  5. Winkle A, Green T, Forsyth C (2023). Correcting iron deficiency. Australasian College of Pharmacy, Volume 1, Issue 3.

  6. Terriou L, Lee JW, Forsyth C, et al. Long-term effectiveness of eculizumab: data from the International PNH registry. Eur J Haematol. 2023;111(5):796-804. DOI:1111/ejh.14080

  7. Blennerhassett R,Hamad NGrech LForsyth CJagger J, Opat SHarris S, Chan BKwok ANguyen M, Bain N, Day D, Segelov E. Exploring attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in adults with haematological malignancies. Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2022;18(Supplement 3):208-209.

  8. Mikhail P, Rogers J, Forsyth C, Ford TJ. Proteasome inhibitor-induced coronary vasospasm in multiple myeloma: a case report. European Heart Journal - Case Reports. 2021;5(7). https://doi.org/10.1093/ehjcr/ytab076

  9. Forsyth C, Blennerhassett R, Jagger J, Myers J, Erber W. Variable incidence of myeloproliferative neoplasms in Australia. Int Med J. 2021;51(11):1979-1980.

  10. Halliwell N, Forsyth C, Taylor N, Mangalasseril S, Sturm J. Subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord due to pernicious anaemia with an erroneously normal active B12 level. Int Med J. 2021;51(7):1184-1185.

  11. Niederwieser D, Hamm C, Cobb P, Mo M, Forsyth C, Tucci A, Hanes V, Delwail V, Hajek R, Chien D. Efficacy and safety of ABP 798: results from the JASMINE trial in patients with follicular lymphoma in comparison with rituximab reference product. Targeted Oncology. 2020;15:599–611.

  12. Forsyth C, Lai S, Jagger J. Cutaneous multiple myeloma. Br J Haematol. 2020;190:134.

  13. Venugopal P, Gagliardi L, Forsyth C, Feng J, Phillips K, Babic M, Poplawski N, Rienhoff Jr HY, Schreiber AW, Hahn CN, Brown AL, Scott H. Two monogenic disorders masquerading as one: severe congenital neutropenia with monocytosis and non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss. BMC Medical Genetics. 2020;21(1):35.

  14. Brown A, Arts P, Carmichael C, Babic M, Dobbins J, Chong C-E, Schreiber A, Feng J, Phillips K, Wang P, Ha T, Homan C, King-Smith S, Rawlings L, Valkulin C, Dubowsky A, Burdett J, Moore S, McKavanagh G, Henry D, Wells A, Mercorella B, Nicola M, Suttle J, Wilkins E, Li X-C, Michaud J, Brautigan P, Cannon P, Altree M, Jaensch L, Fine M, Butcher C, D'Andrea R, Lewis I, Hiwase D, Papaemmanuil E, Horwitz M, Natsoulis G, Rienhoff Jr H, Patton N, Mapp S, Susman R, Morgan S, Cooney J, Currie M, Popat U, Bochtler T, Izraeli S, Bradstock K, Godley L, Krämer A, Fröhling S, Wei A, Forsyth C, Mar Fan H, Poplawski N, Hahn C, and Scott H. RUNX1 mutated families show phenotype heterogeneity and a somatic mutation profile unique to germline predisposed AML. Blood Advances. 2020;4(6):1131-1144.

  15. Joshi M, Taper J, Forsyth C, Rowlings P, Campbell P, Crispin P, Harvey M, Underhill C, Bayley A, Byth K, Huang G, Hertzberg M. Outpatient rituximab, ifosfamide, etoposide (R-IE) in patients older than 60 years with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who are not candidates for stem cell transplantation. Leukaemia and Lymphoma. 2020;61(1):91-97.

  16. Minson AG, Cummins K, Fox L, Costello B, Yeung D, Cleary R, Forsyth C, Tatarczuch M, Burbury K, Motorna O, Shortt J, Fleming S, McQuillan A, Schwarer A, Harrup R, Holmes A, Ratnasingam S, Chan K-L, Hsu W-H, Ashraf A, Putt F, and Grigg A.The natural history of vascular and other complications in patients treated with nilotinib for chronic myeloid leukemia. Blood Advances. 2019; 3(7):1084-1091.

  17. Baade PD, Ross DM, Anderson LA, Forsyth C, Fritschi L. Changing incidence of myeloproliferative neoplasms in Australia, 2003‐2014. American Journal of Haematology. 2019; 94(4):E107-109.

  18. Forsyth C, Chan W-H, Grigg A, Cook NC, Lane SW, Burbury KL, Perkins AC, Ross DM. Recommendations for the use of pegylated interferon-α in the treatment of classical myeloproliferative neoplasms. Int Med J. 2019;49(8):948-954.

  19. Mangkorntongsakul V, Forsyth C. Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia. Med J Aust. 2019; 210(1):16.

  20. Godfrey AL, Campbell PJ, MacLean C, Buck G, Cook J, Temple J, Wilkins BS, Wheatley K, Nangalia J, Grinfeld J, McMullin MF, Forsyth C, Kiladjian JJ, Green AR, Harrison CN. Hydroxycarbamide plus aspirin vs aspirin alone in patients with essential thrombocythaemia aged 40-59 years without high-risk features. J Clin Oncol. 2018;36(34):3361-3369.

  21. Forsyth C, Melville K, Tiley C. The delayed diagnosis of myeloproliferative neoplasms is common and results in a high incidence of potentially preventable thrombotic complications.  Pathology. 2018;50(7):775-776.

  22. Crassini KR, Zhang E, Balendran S, Freeman JA, Best OG, Forsyth C, Mackinlay NJ, Han P, Stevenson WS, Mulligan SP. Humoral immune failure defined by immunoglobulin class and immunoglobulin G subclass deficiency is associated with shorter treatment-free and overall survival in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia. Br J Haematol. 2018;181(1):97-101

  23. Balendran S, Harrison A, Morel-Kopp M-C, Ward C, Forsyth C. Delayed-onset heparin-induced thrombocytopenia complicated by arterial and venous thromboses. Int Med J. 2018 Jan; 48:98-100

  24. Forsyth C, Tiley C. Racoon eyes in systemic AL-amyloidosis. Med J Aust. 2017 May 15;206(9):384

  25. Fox L, Cummins CD, Costello B, Yeung D, Cleary R, Forsyth C, Tatarczuch M, Burbury K, Motorna O, Shortt J, Fleming S, McQuillan A, Schwarer A, Harrup R, Holmes A, Ratnasingam S, Chan K-L, Hsu W-H, Ashraf A, Putt F, Grigg A. The incidence and natural history of dasatinib complications in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia. Blood Advances. 2017;1:802-811

  26. Agarwal R, Blombery P, McBean M, Jones K, Fellowes A, Doig K, Forsyth C, Westerman D. Hematol A. Clinicopathological differences exist between CALR- and JAK2-mutated myeloproliferative neoplasms despite a similar molecular landscape: data from targeted next-generation sequencing in the diagnosistic laboratory. 2017 May; 96(5):725-732.

  27. Ho J, Bajel A, Burbury K, Dunlop L, Durrant S, Forsyth C, Perkins A, Ross D. A case-based discussion of clinical problems in the management of patients treated with ruxolitinib for myelofibrosis. Intern Med J. 2017 Mar;47(3):262-268.

  28. Quach H, Fernyhough L, Henderson R, Corbett G, Baker B, Browett P, Blacklock H, Forsyth C, Underhill C, Cannell P, Trotman J, Neylon A, Harrison S, Link E, Swern A, Cowan L, Dimopoulos MA, Prince HM. Upfront lower dose lenalidomide is less toxic and does not compromise efficacy for vulnerable patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma: final analysis of the phase II RevLite study. Br J Haematol. 2017 Feb 177:441-448.

  29. Malherbe JA, Fuller KA, Mirzai B, Kavanagh S, So CC, Ip HW, Guo BB, Forsyth C, Howman R, Erber WN. Dysregulation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway mediates megakaryocytic hyperplasia in myeloproliferative neoplasms. J Clin Pathol. 2016; 0:1-8

  30. Douglas G, Harrison C, Forsyth C, Bennett M, Stevenson W, Hounsell J, Ratnasingam S, Ritchie D, Ross DM, Grigg A. Busulfan is effective second-line therapy for older patients with Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms intolerant of or unresponsive to hydroxyurea. Leuk Lymphoma. 2016 Jul 25:1-7

  31. Yeung DT, Osborn MP, White DL, Branford S, Braley J, Herschtal A, Kornhauser M, ISsa S, Hiwase KD, Hertzberg M, Schwarer AP, Filshie R, Arthur CK, Kwan YL, Trotman J, Forsyth CJ, Taper J, Ross DM, Beresford J, Tam C, Mills AK, Grigg AP, Hughes TP. TIDEL-II: first-line use of imatinib in CML with early switch to nilotinib for failure to achieve time-dependent molecular targets. Blood. 2015 Feb 5;125(6):915-23.

  32. Banerjee A, Mifsud NA, Bird R, Forsyth C, Szer J, Tam C, Kellner S, Grigg A, Motum P, Bentley M, Opat S, Grigoriadis G. The oral iron chelator deferasirox inhibits NF-κB mediated gene expression without impacting on proximal activation: Implications for myelodysplasia and aplastic anaemia. Br J Haematol. 2015 Feb 1;168(4):576-82.

  33. Paidasa MJ, Forsyth C, Quere I, Rodger M, Frielinge JTM, Tait RC. Perioperative and peripartum prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients with hereditary antithrombin deficiency using recombinant antithrombin therapy. Blood Coagulation and Fibrinolysis. 2014 July;25(5):444-450.

  34. Verner E, Forsyth C, Grigg A. Cyclical thrombocytosis, acquired von Willebrand syndrome and aggressive non-melanoma skin cancers are common in patients with Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms treated with hydroxyurea. Leuk Lymphoma. 2014 May; 55(5): 1139-43

  35. Forsyth C, Gomez-Almaguer D, Camargo JFC, Eliadis PE, Crespo-Solis E, Pereira J, Gutierrez-Aguirre CH, Rivas-Vera S, Roberson S, Lin B, Smith NV, Hamid O. A multicentre, open-label, noncomparative screening study of enzastaurin in adult patients with non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukaemia. 2013 Aug;13(4):398-403.

  36. Freeman JA, Crassini KR, Best OG, Forsyth C, Mackinlay NJ, Han P, Stevenson W, Mulligan SP. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass deficiency and infection risk in 150 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Leuk Lymphoma. 2013 Jan; 54(1):99-104.

  37. Campbell PJ, MacLean C, Beer PA, Buck G, Wheatley K, Kiladjian J-J, Forsyth C, Harrison CN, Green AR. Correlation of blood counts with vascular complications in essential thrombocythemia: analysis of the prospective PT1 cohort. 2012 Aug 16;120(7):1409-11.

  38. Bird RJ, Kenealy M, Forsyth C, Wellwood J, Leahy MF, Seymour JF, To LB. When should iron chelation therapy be considered in patients with myelodysplasia and other bone marrow failure syndromes with iron overload? Intern Med J. 2012;42:450-5.

  39. Best OG, Che Y, Singh N, Forsyth C, Richard I C, Mulligan SP. The Hsp-90 inhibitor SNX-7081 synergises with and restores sensitivity to fludarabine in CLL cells with lesions in the TP53 pathway: a potential treatment strategy for fludarabine refractory disease. Leuk Lymphoma. 2012;53(7):1367-75

  40. Favaloro EJ, Forsyth C, Koutts J. Distinguishing types 1 and 2 M von Willebrand disease. International Journal of Laboratory Haematology. 2012;34(1):102-105

  41. Trotman J, Fournier M, Lamy T, Seymour JF, Sonet A, Janikova A, Shpilberg O, Gyan E, Tilly H, Estell J, Forsyth C, Decaudin D, Fabiani B, Gabarre J, Salles B, Van Den Neste E,  Canioni D, Garin E, Fulham M, Vander Borght T, Salles G. Positron Emission Tomography–Computed Tomography (PET-CT) after induction therapy is highly predictive of patient outcome in Follicular Lymphoma: analysis of PET-CT in a subset of PRIMA trial participants. JCO. 2011;35.0736.

  42. Best G, Singh N, Forsyth C, Mulligan SP. The novel Hsp-90 inhibitor SNX7081 is significantly more potent than 17-AAG against primary CLL cells and a range of haematological cell lines, irrespective of lesions in the TP53 pathway. Br J Haematol. 2010;151(2):185-188.

  43. Favaloro E, Nair S, Forsyth C. Collection and transport of samples for laboratory testing in von Willebrand’s disease (VWD): Time for a reappraisal? Thrombosis and Haemostasis.  2001;86:1589-90.

  44. Smith A, St. Heaps L, Sharma P, Jarvis A, Forsyth C. Abnormal dicentric chromosome with co-amplification of sequences from chromosomes 11 and 19: a novel rearrangement in a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome transforming to acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics. 2001;130:29-32.

  45. Wilson M, Forsyth C, McGahan T, White G. The management of acute vascular graft thrombosis associated with HIT syndrome: a case report. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery. 1997;67(5):302-3.

  46. Nelson M, Popp H, Forsyth C, Gibson J. Rapid quantitation of mixed red cell populations using flow cytometry. Lab. Haem. 1996;18:207-213.

  47. Yuen S, Brown R, Forsyth C, Zarkos K. A quick differentiation between iron deficiency and thalassaemia syndrome. Australian Journal of Medical Science. 1996;17:106-109.

  48. Forsyth C, Nelson M, Popp H, Snowdon L, Gibson J, Joshua D. Autologous red cell recovery and relapse of multiple myeloma after bone marrow transplantation: is this a graft-versus-myeloma effect? Bone Marrow Transplantation. 1996;17:457-459.

  49. Forsyth C, Cremer PD, Torzillo P, Iland HJ, Young GAR. Thalidomide responsive chronic pulmonary graft-versus-host-disease. Bone Marrow Transplantation. 1996;17:291-293.

  50. Forsyth C, Joshua D. Hodgkin’s disease: a GP’s guide to diagnosis and management. Modern Medicine. 1996;39(6):127-135.

  51. Adams M, Forsyth C, Jessup W, Robinson J, Celermajer D. Oral L-arginine inhibits platelet aggregation but does not enhance endothelium-dependent dilation in healthy young adults. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 1995;26(4):1054-61.

  52. Gibson J, Jamieson S, Forsyth C, Armstrong M, Brown R, Joshua D. Kit-positive peripheral blood cells collected after chemotherapy and G-CSF priming. “Autologous Marrow and Blood Transplantation.” Proceedings of the Seventh International Symposium. Edited by Karel A Dicke and Armand Keating, 1994.

  53. Forsyth C, Chisholm J, Popp H. Transfusion of patients with haemoglobinopathies. Topics in Transfusion Medicine. 1995;2(1):9-11.

  54. Popp H, Nelson M, Forsyth C, Falson M, Kronenberg H. Quantifying the loss of ABO antigenicity in a patient with acute myeloid leukaemia by flow cytometric analysis. Immunohematology. 1995; 11(1):5-7.

  55. Forsyth C, Popp H, Kronenberg H, McCaughan G. Severe haemolysis due to anti-D in a D-negative recipient of an orthotopic liver transplant. Transfusion. 1995; 35(3):277.

  56. Forsyth C, Nelson M, Peat B, Boogert A, Gibson J. First trimester antigen typing of fetal red cells using a flow cytometric technique. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 1995; 35:1:97-98.

  57. Nelson M, Forsyth C, Popp H, Gibson J. Rapid detection of Rh(D) or K positive fetal red cells in chorion villus samples by a flow cytometric technique. Transfusion Medicine 1994; 4(4):297-302.

  58. Nelson M, Popp H, Horky K, Forsyth C, Gibson J. Development of a flow cytometric test for the detection of D-positive fetal cells after fetomaternal haemorrhage and a survey or the prevalence in D-Negative women. Immunohematology 1994; 10(2):55-59.

  59. Coates AS, Childs A, Cox K, Forsyth C, Joshua D, McNeil E, Grygiel J. Severe vascular adverse effects with thrombocytopenia and renal failure following emetogenic chemotherapy and ondansetron. Annals of Oncology 1992; 3:719-722.