Locals Who Lead: Dr. Daniel J And Lurleen Ladd -Leading The Charge Against Skin Cancer
Honoring Purpose-Driven Local Leaders
Dr. Daniel J. Ladd and Lurleen Ladd
Pioneers in prevention, education and the best in cutting edge non-invasive skin cancer treatment.
Dr. Daniel J Ladd, Medical Director and Founder of Tru-Skin Dermatology, and Lurleen Ladd Co-Founder and Director of The Shade Project
Focused on Cutting Edge Treatment and Prevention
Tru-Skin Dermatology’s Dr. Daniel Ladd and his wife Lurleen are doing everything they can to help patients with skin cancer – and prevent others from getting it. This brave couple is tackling the deadly disease head-on, using a potent prescription of grassroots advocacy and innovative technology that helps keep people out of the doctor’s office, and enjoying their lives instead.
The Ladds opened their first dermatology clinic in Austin in 2004, and have grown within the region to a total of eight practices. Dr.Ladd, a Mohs surgeon with a passion for treating skin cancer, noticed a rise in patients with skin cancer – and at younger ages. Wanting to do more than just treat this growing patient population, he and Lurleen have built their network of Tru-Skin dermatology offices with a focus on prevention, early detection, and the latest technologies and innovation in skin treatment.
We want to combat the rise in skin cancer through awareness and prevention. A change in behaviors means a decrease in skin cancer rates in generations to come.
Bringing Shade To All
Determined to succeed in reducing the number of skin cancer sufferers, the Ladds went a step further with their non-profit, The Shade Project. Since 2011, Executive Director Lurleen Ladd has been on a mission to provide sun safety education, and shade to local community organizations and schools, in public spaces, parks and campuses. The Shade Project also provides guidance in the planning stages: offering advice on site planning, the bidding process, how to boost community support, and fundraising. The Shade Project also has discounted pricing through a connection with USA Shade, as well as grants for shade structures built in Central Texas. In addition to guidance in creating these potentially life-saving structures, The Shade Project also provides guest speakers for area schools, free sunscreen for outdoor events in the Austin area, and free skin cancer screenings.
Even with the best education and prevention efforts, however, skin cancer currently affects more than 5.5 million people each year in the United States.
Improving Patient Odds
In a bold move to continue improving the odds for their patients, in 2016 Tru-Skin became one of the first dermatology practices in the US to offer a no-scalpel skin cancer treatment using ultrasound-guided superficial radiation therapy (SRT).
The SRT-100 Vision provides a 95+% cure rate, is covered by Medicare and major insurance plans, and is tissue-sparing/non-scarring.
The vast majority of skin cancer cases are basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma. Until now, the gold standard for curing these types of cancers has been Mohs surgery. But this new technology finally gives skin cancer patients a new treatment option that doesn’t require surgery. Non-surgical treatment means less downtime, decreased risk of infection and helps fight “Mohs Fatigue”. Unfortunately, people with a diagnosis of skin cancer have an increased risk for additional skin cancer in their lifetime. This can mean some patients will face several skin cancer surgeries per year. With the SRT-100 Vision, multiple lesions can be treated at one time.
Adds Dr. Ladd, “SCO enabled me to quickly expand the SRT-100 Vision to five Tru-Skin locations. After a decade of Mohs surgery, my patients are thrilled to leave the scalpel and needle behind.”
Most important for many people, surgery is not always the best option because it can mean temporarily stopping critical medications such as blood thinners. For patients who are diabetic or who take blood-thinning medications, the SRT-100 Vision may be the safest treatment. Best of all, the SRT-100 Vision provides a 95+% cure rate, is covered by Medicare and major insurance plans, and is tissue-sparing/non-scarring.
As part of the Ladds’ journey to reduce skin cancer and improve its treatment, Tru-Skin is now partnering with SkinCure Oncology to bring a turnkey solution to dermatologists throughout the U.S. who want to provide the SRT-100 Vision to their patients. “We know most patients want to avoid surgery whenever possible”, says Kerwin Brandt, CEO of SkinCure Oncology.
Hitting The Air To Promote Prevention
Outside of the office, Dr. Ladd and Lurleen keep their prevention efforts going by hosting “The Doctor Dan Show”, a weekly radio broadcast that airs on Sunday mornings on KLBJ-AM in Austin, Texas. Listeners tune in for the latest in medical news, and even get a chance to win sunscreen. For the Ladds, it’s yet one more chance to further the journey they began in 2004.
To learn more about the SRT-100 Vision no-scalpel skin cancer treatment, visit www.tru-skin.com. And to request help from or donate to The Shade Project, visit www.theshadeproject.org.