Memorial Tribute to Eli Glatstein

[摘要] Eli Glatstein, the “Lion King” of In Memoriam, died on November 27, 2019, the day before Thanksgiving. It was fitting that Eli, well known for his gastronomical indulgences, did not have to endure the holiday fare of his rehabilitation center, where he “couldn’t get a decent bagel,” let alone a turkey dinner. Eli’s last days were not happy ones, as he was incapacitated by a devastating stroke and hemiparesis. But his mind, as always, was sharp and acerbic, and being confined to bed and chair was an intolerable existence for him. He was one of a kind, a consummate clinician, teacher, and raconteur, a mentor and friend to the Who’s Who of oncology. As noted in these pages 12 years ago, on the occasion of a festschrift celebrating his 70th birthday, Eli received his training in cancer under the tutelage of the legendary Henry Kaplan at Stanford. Kaplan, a towering intellect and innovator, was an intimidating figure. Eli was the perfect counterpart, and responded brilliantly. He brought to the task his own version of an analytical mind, a gift for presenting his views at the bedside, and a devotion to the education of his fellows. And educated they were, the next generation of leaders of his field: Coleman, Schwade, McKenna, Lichter,Tepper, and Hahn to name a few. His influence extended to the medical oncology field, as he partnered with Saul Rosenberg at Stanford in a series of landmark lymphoma studies, followed by 15 years at the National Cancer Institute with De Vita, Young, Rosenberg, and Longo. He was a master of bedside teaching. Nothing was done in a cursory fashion when Eli was there. Each decision warranted clear thinking, a weighing of the alternatives, a careful dissection of the evidence and his own clinical experience, and an appreciation of the patient. He believed in clinical trial as a framework for establishing new therapies, but in patient care, but he had no patience for cookbook decision making. At NCI, he was revered for his open mindedness, his kindness to patients, and his devotion to the truth, whether it came from his specialty, medical oncology, or surgery. In our home, he was equally revered as dear friend, an authority on movies and Broadway tunes, and a passionate liberal.

[学科分类] 地质学