Greenville physician readies for retirement by leaving behind $3M

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Dr. W. Larry Gluck, medical director of the Prisma Health Cancer Institute, will leave behind a $3 million endowment after his retirement in May. 

During his nearly 40-year tenure, Gluck has transformed cancer care in South Carolina by discovering new cancer-fighting medicines, bringing modern clinical trials to the Upstate, and providing care for cancer patients, according to a Prisma Health news release. 

This $3 million endowed chair, named the W. Larry Gluck MD Endowed Chair of Transitional and Molecular Oncology Research, will honor his legacy and support more advancements in cancer care. 

“I’m proud to be part of this endowed chair, which will be a catalyst for our team at Prisma Health Cancer Institute to further expand their leading-edge work to unlock the mechanisms of cancer and find exciting new therapies to help patients,” Gluck stated in the news release. 

The endowment will support the work of a lead physician-scientist who will provide a scientist’s insight into the cellular and molecular basis of cancer as well as a doctor’s one-on-one attention to patient care. 

The Prisma Health Cancer Institute has developed several treatments including novel drugs that target specific genes and proteins related to cancer, and its team has participated in more than 1,000 clinical trials. 

Recently, the institute collaborated with an international team of scientists on two research trials to find new ways to shut down a potentially deadly immune reaction that has been seen in cancer patients and COVID-19 patients alike. 

“Dr. Gluck’s entire professional career has been devoted to championing the drive for new discoveries to advance cancer care,” Mark O’Halla, president and CEO of Prisma Health, said in the release. He “is both a visionary in the field of cancer treatment and prevention and a hero to the thousands of patients and their families he has cared for over the years. We will miss him personally, but his presence will be felt for decades to come through the system of premier cancer care that he spent his career assembling.” 

During Gluck’s tenure as medical director, the institute was designated as a National Cancer Institute Cancer Center and has expanded greatly with several landmark research programs, including a rare-tumor clinic, a blood and marrow transplant program and a Center for Cancer Prevention and Wellness. 

The Cancer Institute has earned more than $30 million in research and grant funding that supports cancer research and patient advocacy, including screenings at Cancer for Cancer Prevention and Wellness. 

According to Gluck, “It’s not enough to treat or even cure cancer. We need to prevent it altogether.” 

By Ashlie Puma