INTERVIEW
Fabrice Denis is a recidivist. This oncologist has created six years ago an application to detect relapses of lung cancer, based on the symptoms of the person concerned. Validated by clinical studies, the first application reimbursed by the Social Security showed that it could reduce the mortality rate of this cancer by 20% over one year. A concept that this specialist has decided to adapt to all diseases related to tobacco, with an application: Smokecheck.
"If we can detect recurrences, we must be able to detect diseases," said Fabrice Denis. For this new project, he surrounded himself with a group of university students, "pulmonologists, oncologists". Their work has resulted in thirteen simple questions about the health of the user. "Do you have a persistent cough for more than three weeks? Spit blood?", Details in France moves , on Europe 1, the co-creator of the application. Thanks to the answers, it is possible to give, not a diagnosis, "but an alert", in order to encourage the potential patient to go see his doctor.
"75% of smokers show a disturbing symptom"
The Smokecheck app, available for download, is being evaluated. Like its big sister, it is the subject of a clinical study on 4,000 voluntary users. "After only three months of deployment, the first results are already starting to fall," says Fabrice Denis. All data were compiled into a disease frequency table, which allows for better reading accuracy of user responses. "75% of smokers show a disturbing symptom", such as a change in voice, palpation of a small mass, regular sputum, or the presence of blood in the urine. 18% have chronic bronchitis, "which is the ground of cancer several years later". But only "5% of smokers users probably have cancer," according to the oncologist, who said that the application does not give them a diagnosis, but simply an incentive to quickly consult a doctor.
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An incentive application
"Three times out of four", there is an alert, details Fabrice Denis, who recognizes that its application can scare smokers. "It's used to change their behavior," he says. Through the application, the oncologist also questions the intentions of users. "In 80% of cases, they are reluctant to stop smoking."
However, after the use of the application, 35% of users intend to stop smoking, 50% want to reduce their consumption of cigarettes. A bad habit that, if eradicated, would "avoid 30% of cancers" according to Fabrice Denis. According to this Manceau, it is "the equivalent of the city of Le Mans which is removed from the map every two years because of the effects of smoking". Smoking makes 70,000 deaths a year, and in most cases, smokers "did not know the symptoms that should make them consult."