Greg Ladd

You would never spot Greg Ladd as a cancer survivor from outward appearances, either before his diagnosis or now, six years after he was treated. He practices Brazilian jujitsu, has been officiating high-school football for 25 years, lifts weights, and until recently was an active wrestler.  “I’ve always been pretty healthy,” Greg says, “but when I was diagnosed, I had no symptoms at all.” Greg’s primary physician referred him to Dr. Paul A. Hatcher in The University of Tennessee Medical Center’s Cancer Institute after a routine physical.  “I get one every year before football season,” he says.  “If it hadn’t been for the physical, I never would have known there was anything wrong.”

Greg was diagnosed with stage II prostate cancer, and although he had many options, he chose to go with Dr. Hatcher’s recommendation for a radical surgery.  “I’ve had no lasting problems from the cancer or the surgery,” he says.  “The first year of recovery was rough, but it gets better after that.”  Greg shared his story partly because he wanted to help other cancer patients know what to expect.  “Dr. Hatcher was great about explaining things.  He talks to you in a way you can understand, and he takes his time.  But when you hear you have cancer and then when you’re trying to recover you think—Is this ever going to get better?”  Greg is here to tell you, “It does.”

Today, Greg is back referring football, and working as the Landscape Supervisor for the City of Knoxville.  He’s leading an active lifestyle and is completely cancer free.  He claims he was very lucky, both to have been diagnosed so early and to have been referred to the Cancer Institute.  “I tell all my guys to go and get checked,” he says.  “That and Dr. Hatcher saved my life.”