News

MRH&C Works to End Lung Cancer

Posted 8/12/24 (Mon)

Trudy Kemnitz is the Director of Radiology at Mobridge Regional Hospital and has worked at MRH&C for 16 years. She also teaches Health Science courses at Mobridge-Pollock High School and is the Assistant Volleyball Coach there. Outside of work, you can find her chasing her three children, ages 6, 10, and 12, around to all their activities. At work, Trudy and the radiology team play a critical role in the early diagnosis of cancers, including lung cancer.

“Nobody wants a positive lung cancer diagnosis,” shares Kemnitz, “so helping local residents prevent it in the first place is so important.” As with all cancers, maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise significantly reduces an individual’s risk of lung cancer.

Quitting tobacco use—including smoking, vaping or using e-cigarettes—and avoiding secondhand smoke is perhaps the most significant step you can take to lower your risk. It’s also important to use protective equipment and follow safety guidelines when working with asbestos, diesel exhaust and certain chemicals and to avoid burning plastics, treated wood, or other hazardous substances that can release carcinogenic fumes.

Besides these more well-known risks, high indoor radon levels are also an important local risk factor that patients should consider. It is recommended that your home be tested for radon every two years. Our state ranks second highest in the country for radon levels, with an average indoor level more than double the EPA’s recommended action level of 4 pCi/L.

After smoking, radon is one of the top causes of lung cancer in the country. Walworth and Corson County are considered high risk areas and Dewey County is a moderate risk area. Visit https://states.aelabs.com/#/sd to order a free radon test kit from the SD Dept. of Agriculture and Natural Resources. If action is needed, mitigation usually costs between $1,000 and $2,000.

Primary care providers at our four rural health clinics, in Mobridge, McLaughlin, Selby, and Timber Lake, can help patients further understand how to reduce their risk of lung cancer and order a lung cancer screening with a low-dose CT scan when the following criteria are met:

• The patient is between 50-77 years old
• The patient shows no signs or symptoms of lung cancer
• The patient has a tobacco smoking history of at least 20 pack-years (one pack year is equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes per day for one year)
• The patient is a current smoker or one who has quit smoking within the last 15 years

If you are eligible for the test, what’s it like? “It does not hurt,” assures Mrs. Kemnitz. “The patient lays down and the machine takes pictures. It takes about 2 minutes total.” The results of the screening can take up to a week to get back. The team at Mobridge Regional Hospital does an average of 2-3 of these tests each month. “Early diagnosis is so important,” shares Kemnitz. When lung cancer is diagnosed at the earliest stage, it’s six times more likely to be treatable than when it’s diagnosed at Stage 4. If you would like to learn more about our low-dose CT scans or speak with a provider about a potential screening, please call 605-845-3692 to make an appointment at one of our clinics.