Melanie Seal

Dr. Melanie Seal MD FRCPC is a Medical Oncologist (Cancer Care Program) and Associate Professor of Oncology (Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University) in St. John’s, Newfoundland.  She obtained a Doctor of Medicine degree and completed a residency in Internal Medicine at Memorial along with a Diploma in Clinical Epidemiology.  She trained in Medical Oncology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and then undertook a breast cancer research fellowship at the BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver, British Columbia.  Dr. Seal is the Interim Discipline Chair of Oncology and the Postgraduate Educational Director; Assessment and Education with the Faculty of Medicine.

She has a clinical and research interest in breast, gastrointestinal and central nervous system malignancies with ongoing projects in these sites. She is very involved with teaching, supervising research projects and mentoring medical trainees. She serves on many committees at the local and national level and is an active investigator (primary) for clinical trials.

CURRENT POSITIONS

• Discipline Chair of Oncology (Interim), Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL
• Medical Oncologist, Cancer Care Program, NL Health Services. St. John’s, NL
• Associate Professor of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL
• Postgraduate Educational Director, Assessment and Education, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL

TRAINING

Breast Research Fellowship (Supervisor: Dr. Stephen Chia MD FRCPC), BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC

Medical Oncology Residency (Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada certification). McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

Internal Medicine Residency (Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada certification). Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL

Diploma in Clinical Epidemiology, Internal Medicine Residency. Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL

Doctor of Medicine. Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL

Bachelor of Science (Honours – Neuroscience: Major – Biology). Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, NL

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

Advanced Physician Leadership Management Program (certificate). Office of Professional and Education Development and the Gardiner Institute, Memorial University. St. John’s, NL – currently enrolled. Virtual Program.

Canadian Women in Medicine (CWIM) Leaders. CWIM. Virtual Program.

Physician Leadership Management Certificate Program. Office of Professional and Education Development and the Gardiner Institute, Memorial University, St. John’s, NL.

Addressing Challenges in Local and Global Health Equity Program (certificate), Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University. St. John’s, NL.

Medical Education Scholarship Program (certificate). Memorial University, St. John’s, NL.

PUBLICATIONS

Garland SN, Tulk J, Savard J, Rash JA, Browne S, Urquhart R, Seal M, Thoms J, Laing K. Randomized Controlled Trial of Virtually Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia to Address Perceived Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment in Cancer Survivors. J Clin Oncol. 2024 Mar 29.

Lee, R. M., Rash, J. A., Seal, M., McCarthy, J., & Garland, S. N. Early change in fatigue, insomnia, and cognitive impairment and symptom severity at 3-years post-treatment in breast cancer survivors. Supportive Care in Cancer. March 18, 2024. 32:232

Hynes J, Dawson L, Seal M, Green J, Woods M, Etchegary H. “There should be one spot that you can go.” BRCA mutation carriers' perspectives on cancer risk management and a hereditary cancer registry. J Community Genet. October 21, 2023

Roebothan A, Smith KN, Seal M, Etchegary H, Dawson L. Specialty Care and Counselling about Hereditary Cancer Risk Improves Adherence to Cancer Screening and Prevention in Newfoundland and Labrador Patients with BRCA1/2 Pathogenic Variants: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study. Current Oncology. 2023; 30(10):9367-9381.

Mahoney M, Sriranganathan S, Dowden J, Seal M. A Population Description of Young Women with Breast Cancer in Newfoundland and Labrador. Current Oncology. 2023; 30(11):9602-9610.

Tulk, J., Rash, J., Savard, J., Seal, M., Thoms, J., Urquhart, R., Browne, S., & Garland, S. Change in objective cognitive function in cancer survivors with insomnia and perceived cognitive impairments receiving virtual cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia. Current Oncology 2023, 30(7), 6917-6918

Garland, S. N, Tulk, J., Rodriguez, N., Rash, J. A., Fawcett, J. M., McCarthy, J., Seal, M., & Laing, K. Executive Functioning Deficits After Diagnosis in Women with Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer Prior to Adjuvant Therapy. International Journal of Behavioural Medicine (January 31, 2023)

Etchegary, H., Pike A., Puddister, R., Watkins, K., Warren M., Francis, V., Woods, M., Green, J., Savas, S., Seal, M., Gao, Zl, Avery, S., Curtis, F., McGrath., MacDonald, D., Burry, N., Dawson, L. Cancer prevention in cancer predisposition syndromes: A protocol for testing the feasibility of building a hereditary cancer research registry and nurse navigator follow up model. PLOS ONE 2022 Dec 22;17(12):e0279317

Cheng, A., Barron, J., Holmes, O. Bartlet, P., Jenkins, G., Seal, M. Primary neuroendocrine tumor of the pineal gland: a case report. BMC Neurol 2021 21, 323

Garland, S. N., Savard, J., Dalton, K., Walsh, N., Seal, M., Rash, J. A., Browne, S., Urquhart, R., Thoms, J., Gadag, V., & Laing, K. (In Press Feb. 2021). Rationale and Protocol for a Randomized Waitlist Controlled Trial of Videoconference Delivered Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia to improve Perceived Cognitive Impairment among Cancer Survivors. Contemporary Clinical Trials

McCarthy R. and Seal MD. Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD):The Opinions of Medical Trainees in Newfoundland and Labrador. CMEJ 2019 10(14):e13-e20.

Lebert J, Lester R, Powell E, Seal MD, McCarthy J. Advances in the Systemic Treatment of Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Curr Oncol 2018 Jun; 25 (S1): S142-150

McGee S, AlGhareeb W, Ahmad C, Armstrong D, Babak S, Berry S, Biagi J, Booth C, Bosse D, Champion P, Colwell B, Finn N, Goel R, Gray S, Green J, Harb M, Hyde A, Jeykumar A, Jonker D, Kanagaratnam S, Kavan P, MacMillan A, Muinuddin A, Patil N, Porter G, Powell E, Ramjeesingh R, Raza M, Rorke S, Seal M, Servido-Italiano F, Siddiqui J, Simms J, Smithson L, Snow S, St-Hilaire E, Stuckless T, Tate A, Tehfe M, Thirlwell M, Tsvetkova E, Valdes M, Vickers M, Virik K, Welch S, Marginean C and Asmis T. Eastern Canadian Colorectal Cancer Consensus Conference 2017. Curr Oncol 2018 Aug; 25 (4): 262-274

Lebert J, Lester R, Powell E, Seal MD, McCarthy J. Advances in the Systemic Treatment of Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Curr Oncol 2018 Jun; 25 (S1): S142-150

Ndikumana R, Taher A, Carp P, Seal MD. HER2 Overexpression and Amplification in Diffuse Gastric Cancer in Newfoundland and Labrador. Can J Pathol 2018 May; 10 (2): 39-46

Seal, MD. Spring. J Clin Oncol. 2017 Mar 31

Morgan E, Norman A, Laing K and Seal M. Treatment and Outcome of Glioblastoma in Elderly versus Non-Elderly Patients: A Population-Based Study. Curr Oncol. 2017 Apr 24(2):e92-98

Bosse D, Ng, T, Ahmad C, Alfakeeh A, Alruzug I, Biagi J, Brierley J, Chaudhury P, Cleary S, Colwell B, Cripps C, Dawson LA, Dorreen M, Ferland E, Galiatsatos P, Girard S, Gray S, Halwani F, Kopek N, Mahmud A, Martel G, Robillard L, Samson B, Seal MD, Siddiqui J, Sideris L, Snow S, Thirwell M, Vickers M, Goodwin R, Goel R, Hsu T, Tsvetkova E, Ward B, Asmis T. Eastern Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference 2016. Curr Oncol 2017 Dec; 23(6):e605-614

Di Valentin T, Asmis T, Asselah J, Aubin F, Aucoin N, Berry S, Biagi J, Booth CM, Burkes R, Coburn N, Colwell B, Cripps C, Dawson LA, Dorreen M, Frechette D, Goel R, Gray S, Hammad N, Jonker D, Kavan Pi, Maroun J, Nanji S, Roberge D, Samson B, Seal MD, Shabana W, Simunovic M, Snow S, Tehfe M, Thirlwell M, Tsvetkova E, Vickers M, Vuong T and Goodwin R (2016). Eastern Canadian Gastrointestinal Cancer Consensus Conference 2013: emerging therapies in the treatment of pancreatic, rectal and colorectal cancers. Curr Oncol 2016 Feb 23(1):52-55

Morgan ER, Laing K, McCarthy J, McCrate F, Seal MD. Using tablet-based technology in patient education about systemic therapy options for early stage breast cancer: a pilot study. Curr Oncol. 2015 Oct 22(5):364-369
Murphy L, McCarthy J, McCrate F, Laing K, Powell E, Seal MD, Edwards S. Use of bisphosphonates in metastatic breast cancer: single institution review at the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Centre. Support Care Cancer. 2013 Jun 21(6):1557-1560

Seal MD, Speers CH, O’Reilly S, Gelmon KA, Ellard S, Chia SK. Outcomes of women with early stage breast cancer receiving adjuvant trastuzumab. Curr Oncol. 2012 Aug 19(4):197-201

McFarlane R, Seal MD , Speers C, Woods R, Masoudi H, Aparicio S, Chia SK. Molecular alterations between primary breast cancer and the subsequent locoregional/metastatic tumor. Oncologist. 2012 17(2):172-178

Seal MD, Pond GR, Wilkieson TJ, Hotte SJ. Effect of geographic distance from a cancer centre on choice of systemic therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer. Oncology Exchange. 2011 Aug 10(3):8-12

Armstrong D, Powell E, Seal MD, Rorke S, Laing K, Ganguly P, Pochini C, McCrate F, McCarthy J. Nasopharyngeal cancer in Newfoundland and Labrador: 7-year experience. Oncology Exchange. 2011 May 10(2):e4-7

Seal MD and Chia SK. Challenging the dogma on trastuzumab: a matter of the heart. Lancet. 2010 Jan 30; 375(9712):349-50

Seal MD and Chia SK. What is the difference between triple-negative and basal breast cancers? Cancer J. 2010 Jan-Feb 16(1):12-16

Seal MD, Wilson C, Naus GJ, Chia SK, Bainbridge TC, Hayes MM. Encapsulated apocrine papillary carcinoma – a tumour of uncertain malignant potential: report of five cases. Virchows Arch. 2009 Dec 455(6):477-483

GRANTS

Cancer prevention in cancer predisposition syndromes: Testing the feasibility of building a hereditary cancer research registry and nurse navigator follow up model.
Source: CIHR Project Grant - Priority Announcement Patient Oriented Research 2021
Dollars awarded: $100 000 Dates of Approved Project: 2022-2023
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Etchegary H and Dawson L)

Immunogenicity of Covid-19 Vaccines in Survivors of Hematological and Solid Cancers
Source: CIHR Operating Grant 2021 - Emerging COVID-19 Research Gaps and Priorities Funding Opportunity
Dollars awarded: $379 900 Dates of Approved Project: 2021-2022
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Grant M)

A randomized control trial of cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia and perceived cognitive impairment in cancer survivors
Source: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant Competition
Dollars awarded: $493 424 Dates of Approved Project: 2019-2023
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Garland S)

Does treating insomnia improve cognitive complaints in breast cancer survivors: A pilot study
Source: Beatrice Hunter Cancer Research Institute (BHCRI) New Investigator competition
Dollars awarded: $25 000
Role: Co-Investigator

Why don't BRCA carriers in NL receive adequate cancer screening and prevention?
Source: Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) SUPPORT Patient-Oriented Research Dollars awarded: $ 75, 000 Dates of Approved Project: 2017-2018
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Dawson L)

Impact of sleep on cancer related cognitive dysfunction in women with breast cancer.
Source: Memorial University Seed, Bridge, and Multidisciplinary Fund
Dollars awarded: $10,000 Dates of Approved Project: 2016-2018
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Garland S)

GUIDELINES

Physician Lead Clinical Practice Guideline: Treatment of Borderline Resectable and Locally
Advanced Pancreatic Cancer, June 24, 2014

Physician Lead Clinical Practice Guideline: Staging of Primary Breast Cancer, May 23, 2012

AWARDS

Discipline of Oncology Excellence in Post graduate Teaching Award. Memorial University 2022