John P. Stein, MD, FACS 1962-2008

In Memoriam

RIU0408_06-17.qxd 6/17/08 4:44 PM Page 1 IN MEMORIAM John P. Stein, MD, FACS 1962-2008 t is with a heavy heart that I report the passing of my friend and colleague, Dr. John P. Stein, who died suddenly on April 11, 2008, while attending a urology meeting in Naples, Florida. For those of you who knew John only by his articles, you know he was a thought leader in urologic oncology who made many significant contributions in the field of bladder cancer and urinary diversion. For those of you who knew him personally, you know what a warm and wonderful human being he was, how he was always upbeat and positive, and how loyal and true he was to his friends and colleagues. Finally, if you were his patient, you knew that, even if you had just been diagnosed with a bad cancer, Dr. Stein would take care of you and do his best to make sure everything would be all right. No matter how you knew John Stein, you knew he was a unique individual. John Stein was 1 of 3 brothers, born and raised in Walnut Creek, California. John’s father was an anesthesiologist, so John understood the demanding lifestyle of a physician from a young age and clearly was committed to this career. He attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, and this colored his view of the world a sometimes-annoying shade of Irish green and gold. He attended the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University in Chicago, and then, despite his Notre Dame pedigree, did his urology residency and fellowship at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. After completing his fellowship, his mentor, Dr. Donald Skinner, asked John to remain at USC and join the faculty at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Urologists probably know John best for his numerous publications on the USC/Norris cystectomy experience. He identified the utility of lymph node density as a prognostic factor in muscleinvasive bladder cancer and championed the concept of a more extensive lymph node dissection at the time of cystectomy to ensure adequate staging and to provide a possible survival benefit. Along with Donald Skinner, he helped develop the T-pouch urinary diversion, a nonrefluxing neobladder derived from small I intestine. He was also part of the team that identified the p53 gene as a prognostic variable in bladder cancer. These landmark findings represent just a small sampling of the over 170 articles John authored. This is all the more impressive by the fact that he would have been only 46 years old in June. As a doctor and a surgeon, John had few equals. His patients genuinely loved him. As 1 patient told me at John’s funeral, “Dr. Stein had a way of making you feel like you were his only patient and that no matter what how bad your cancer was, he would make everything all right.” It was a treat to watch him operate. I learned something new every time I scrubbed in with him. If you were in a case and needed help, John was always the person you called. He was the consummate big-case surgeon. John was also a good friend. He was always upbeat and optimistic. He was loyal to a fault and always took care of “his people.” You could always count on him to be there for you in a time of need. He had a great sense of humor and enjoyed telling stories and playing little practical jokes around the office. He treated everyone in the hospital the same way—whether you were the dean of the medical school or part of the cleaning staff; John always greeted you warmly and with respect and took the time to learn a little about you. Finally, and maybe most importantly, John was a devoted family man. His wife, Randi, and their 4 children were the apples of his eye. Nothing made John happier than playing basketball with his boys or just hanging out with his girls. It was a pleasure to watch his face light up when he talked about his wife and kids. You could tell this was what mattered to him the most. Urology has lost a shining star in John Stein. He is sorely missed. David F. Penson, MD, MPH Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA