Virtual doctor

Online self-test shows the risk of lung cancer

Lung cancer is difficult to detect in its early stages. By the time it is noticed, it is often too late, explains the Managing Director of Krebshilfe OÖ. A virtual doctor who guides you through a short online self-test is therefore designed to help with early detection.

"Allow me, I am LUIS! Nice that you want to test your risk." This friendly greeting from the virtual lung doctor called LUIS has a serious background: every year, more than 5000 people in Austria are diagnosed with lung cancer, but early detection is too rare. This is exactly where LUIS wants to help by guiding people through a short online test.

"Do you suffer from unexplained hoarseness that lasts longer than three weeks?" or: "Do you have chest or shoulder pain that you can't explain?" is one of the questions asked. If the test reveals serious symptoms, the virtual lung doctor recommends seeing a real one.

"Many people don't take symptoms seriously"
"The project aims to raise awareness so that symptoms of a possible illness can also be looked at," explains Maria Sauer, Managing Director of Krebshilfe Oberösterreich, which developed the online check together with other organizations.

Maria Sauer is Managing Director of Krebshilfe OÖ, which developed the online test together with other organizations.(Bild: Dostal Harald)

"Early detection is very difficult. Many people don't really take the symptoms seriously," says Sauer. "The nerves in the lung tissue are not directly affected. When pain occurs, it is often already metastasis." No surprise: "Smokers are particularly at risk because I take in a lot of toxins through smoking," says Sauer.

The symptom check is available at: www.dontsmoke.at