Education/Training
Graduate: University of Hacettepe, School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
Residency: Pediatrics, Hacettepe Children’s Hospital, Ankara; Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
Fellowship: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT, Children’s Hospital of LA
Board Certifications
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Areas of Interest and Expertise
Dr. Ozkaynak’s interest has been the treatment of neuroblastoma, a unique childhood cancer. He has been the Vice-Chair of a Children’s Oncology Group (COG) protocol which has established the role of immunotherapy in the treatment of advanced neuroblastoma. He then led the COG protocol for FDA Biologic License Application for immunotherapy in patients with advanced neuroblastoma, which has recently been successful. This has led to the establishment of a new standard in North America and around the globe for the treatment of advanced neuroblastoma. Dr. Ozkaynak continues his research activities in neuroblastoma and other childhood solid tumors by improving upon the above treatment protocol results while creating new ones including immune checkpoint inhibition.
Office locations:
Vassar Medical Center, Subspecialty Corner
Danbury
Middletown
Bradhurst
Selected Publications
Yu, A.L., Gilman, A., Ozkaynak, M.F., et al.: Anti-GD2 antibody with GM-CSF, interleukin-2 and isotretinoin for neuroblastoma. N Engl J Med 363:1324-1334, 2010; 24(3):176-81. doi: 10.1111/tme.12123. Epub 2014 May 2. PMID: 24786047.
Halicka, H.D., Ozkaynak, M.F., Levendoglu-Tugal, O., Sandoval, C., Seiter, K., Kajstura, M., Traganos, F., Jayabose, S. and Darzynkiewicz, Z. DNA damage response as a biomarker in treatment of leukemias. Cell Cycle 8:11, 1-5,2009.
Ozkaynak, M.F. Favorable outcome of primary CNS anaplastic large cell lymphoma in an immunocompetent patient. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol, 31: 128-130, 2009.
Gilman, A.L., Ozkaynak, M.F., Matthay, K., Krailo, M., Yu, A., Gan, J., Sternberg, A., Hank, J., Seeger, R., Reaman, G., Sondel, P. Phase I study of ch14.18 with GM-CSF and IL-2 in children with neuroblastoma following autologous bone marrow transplant or stem cell rescue: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group. J Clin Oncol, 27:85-91, 2009
Ozkaynak, M.F., Sahdev, I. , Gross, T.G., Levine, J., Cheerva, A., Richards M.K., Rozans, M.K., Shaw, P.J., Kadota, R.P. A Pilot Study of Addition of Amifostine to Melphalan, Carboplatin, Etoposide and Cyclophosphamide with Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Pediatric Solid Tumors – A Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium Study. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 30: 204-209, 2008.
Satwani, P., Sather, H., Ozkaynak, F., Heerema, N.A., Schultz, K.R., Sanders, J., Kersey, J., Davenport, V., Trigg, M., Cairo, M. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in first remission for children with ultra-high-risk features of acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A Children’s Oncology Group study report. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, 13: 218-227, 2007.
Carr, E., Jayabose, S., Stringel, G., Slim, M., Ozkaynak, M.F., Tugal, O., Sandoval, C. The safety of central line placement prior to treatment of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.Pediatr Blood Cancer,47:886-888, 2006.
Jayabose, S., Levedoglu-Tugal, O., Ozkaynak, M.F., Sandoval, C. Recurrent immune thrombocytopenic purpura in children. Pediatr Hematol Oncol, 23:677-682, 2006.
Pine, S.R., Guo, Q., Yin, C., Jayabose, S., Levendoglu-Tugal, O., Ozkaynak, M.F., Sandoval, C. GATA1 as a new target to detect minimal residual disease in both transient leukemia and megakaryoblastic leukemia of Down syndrome. Leuk Res, 29:1353-1356, 2005.
Ozkaynak, M.F., Krailo, M., Feusner, J. Randomized comparison between antibiotics alone and antibiotics plus granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor in pediatric patients with chemotherapy induced febrile neutropenia: A report from the Childrens Oncology Group. Pediatr Blood Cancer, 45: 274-280, 2005.
Pubmed Search ID: Mehmet Fevzi Ozkaynak