ADVANCE PRAISE for Patients but no Patience

Patient but no patience describes the personal journey of Victor Levinin the early days of modern oncology and the development of researchand treatment of brain tumors. His journey started in the era before CT
and MR brain imaging became available, at a time when all establishedtumor treatments were still to prove their role in the field of brain tumors.
The memoir describes the development of the early clinical trials,
combinational regimens including the still important PCV schedule, themathematical modelling of the penetration of compounds into brain
tumors using animal models, pharmacokinetics of agents used in brain
tumors, the early clinical studies in this field, the development of nitrosourea’s, studies on the interactions between anticonvulsants andalkylating agents, the change from whole brain radiotherapy to involved
fields radiotherapy, the concerns about radiotherapy induced cognitive
deficits, development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors: it’s all there.
There is a vivid description of the first gatherings of brain tumor
investigators and the birth of neuro-oncology groups, and of the firstearly brain tumor centers with many of the names that changed our field.
This autobiography is a very personal document, honest, about ambitions,achievements, and disappointments. In many ways Victor Levin was apioneer and a leading figure in the field of neuro-oncology, many of thetopics he worked on and of which he understood the importance of areof relevance and still with us. But the book is also a time capsule; forthose who want to understand the history of the early beginnings of thefield this is a must read.
—Martin van dent Bent, MD, PhD, Professor in Neuro-Oncology,Erasmus University Rotterdam and Head Neuro-Oncology
Unit at Erasmus Medical Cancer Center, the Netherlands

This memoir is an insightful commentary of Dr. Levin’s personal andprofessional academic journey that is conveyed with thoughtfulreflection and honesty. While highlighting his successes andachievements, he also bravely describes the challenges he faced and hisown shortcomings. For anyone in the field of Neuro-Oncology, there
are so many lessons to be learned, especially about bringing to reality
a vision to improve the care we provide to our patients as well as theimportance of education and professional community. In addition tohis accomplishments in building programs at UCSF and at MDACC,
his contribution to the formation of the Society of Neuro-Oncology isa testament to his incredible passion, dedication, and generosity.
—Susan Chang, MD, Professor, Department of Neurosurgery
and Co-Program Leader of the Neuro-Oncology Programin the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center,
University of California San FranciscoThis book offers an intimate portrait of the life, accomplishments, andat times struggles, of a pioneering clinician-scientist who devoted hiscareer to improving outcomes for patients with brain tumors.
Interwoven with personal anecdotes and touching patient vignettes,
Victor Levin sets out the foundations of the modern-day field of neurooncology, chronicling his efforts, as well as those of his many colleagues
and trainees, to combat what remains one of the most challenging andcomplex areas of cancer medicine. In order to know where we aregoing, we must first understand where we are from, and in Patients butno Patience, Dr. Levin offers us a rich historical context upon which
future generations of multidisciplinary neuro-oncology cancer
researchers can build upon to realize a more hopeful and promising
future for patients suffering from devastating CNS tumors.
—Chas Haynes, JD, Executive Director of the Society
for Neuro-Oncology

This is a remarkable memoir of a man who is arguably the founding
father of modern neuro-oncology. The seasoned practitioner will beencouraged by the slow but steady progress Dr. Levin made throughout
his half century career, whereas the early career physician will have arole-model to pursue novel therapies driven by science and clinical trials
to provide the practice-changing therapies that will eventually cure brain
cancer. A must read for clinicians and basic scientists alike who areinterested in central nervous system neoplasia.
—Edward G. Shaw, MD, MA, Emeritus Professor of Radiation
Oncology and Geriatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine,
Winston-Salem, NC, and Past-President, Society for
Neuro-Oncology
The seven years I spent with Victor in San Francisco and Houston
was the brightest time in my life. Through his targeted remarks andswift actions, I was able to learn from his pragmatic optimism andproblem-solving abilities. I joined Victor's UCSF lab in 1988. It was
just around the time that he was starting the first in the world effort totry and develop an inhibitor of the c-Src tyrosine kinase and he wasputting all his energy into it. The time I spent with Victor in San
Francisco and Houston were the brightest time in my life. In retrospect,a multidisciplinary program to develop inhibitors ofc-Src was a tremendously advanced idea at the time. This memoir tells of his motivesand inspiration when he started the project. He has always had amazingly
advanced and original ideas and the ability to solve difficult problems
and learning them from him has changed my life significantly. Thismemoir describes how the philosophy and capabilities underlying mylifelong mentor's ideas and actions was constructed before we met andwhat he continued to accomplish until he retired in 2021.
—Hideyuki Saya, MD, PhD, Emeritus Professor, Division of Gene
Regulation, Institute for Advanced Medical Research, Keio
University School of Medicine, and President of JapaneseCancer Association