Effectiveness of Immersive Virtual Reality in People with Cancer Undergoing Antiblastic Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. 2023

Francesco Burrai, and Salvatorico Ortu, and Marco Marinucci, and Maria Grazia De Marinis, and Michela Piredda
Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, PhD School in Nursing Sciences and Public Health, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy. Electronic address: francescoburrai@libero.it.

This study aims to assess the effects of immersive Virtual Reality in people with cancer undergoing antiblastic therapy, on anxiety, fatigue and pain. This is a randomized controlled three-arm trial. Seventy-four cancer patients were recruited from a regional hospital in Italy, and randomly allocated into three groups: a Virtual Reality group (n=25), a narrative medicine group (n=25) and a standard care group (n=24). The primary outcome was anxiety. Secondary outcomes included fatigue and pain. The outcomes were evaluated immediately before and after the interventions. The findings showed that anxiety decreased more in the Virtual Reality group (Δpre-post = 6.24, 95% CI 2.578 to 9.902, p=.001, d = 0.63) than in the narrative medicine group, whereas it did not change for those in the standard care group. Fatigue decreased in the Virtual Reality group (Δpre-post = 0.576, 95% CI 0.246 to 0.907, p=.001, d = 0.23), while remaining stable in the narrative medicine group, and increasing in the standard care group. Average levels of pain did not change before and after the intervention [F(1,71) = 1.06, p=.307, ηp2 = .015]. Findings show that virtual reality is effective to reduce anxiety and fatigue in people with cancer undergoing antiblastic therapy. Virtual Reality can be recommended as an complementary intervention to manage anxiety and fatigue in people with cancer during antiblastic therapy. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05629507.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009369 Neoplasms New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms. Benign Neoplasm,Cancer,Malignant Neoplasm,Tumor,Tumors,Benign Neoplasms,Malignancy,Malignant Neoplasms,Neoplasia,Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Benign,Cancers,Malignancies,Neoplasias,Neoplasm, Benign,Neoplasm, Malignant,Neoplasms, Malignant
D010146 Pain An unpleasant sensation induced by noxious stimuli which are detected by NERVE ENDINGS of NOCICEPTIVE NEURONS. Suffering, Physical,Ache,Pain, Burning,Pain, Crushing,Pain, Migratory,Pain, Radiating,Pain, Splitting,Aches,Burning Pain,Burning Pains,Crushing Pain,Crushing Pains,Migratory Pain,Migratory Pains,Pains, Burning,Pains, Crushing,Pains, Migratory,Pains, Radiating,Pains, Splitting,Physical Suffering,Physical Sufferings,Radiating Pain,Radiating Pains,Splitting Pain,Splitting Pains,Sufferings, Physical
D005221 Fatigue The state of weariness following a period of exertion, mental or physical, characterized by a decreased capacity for work and reduced efficiency to respond to stimuli. Lassitude
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000076142 Virtual Reality Using computer technology to create and maintain an environment and project a user's physical presence in that environment allowing the user to interact with it. Virtual Reality, Educational,Virtual Reality, Instructional,Educational Virtual Realities,Educational Virtual Reality,Instructional Virtual Realities,Instructional Virtual Reality,Realities, Instructional Virtual,Reality, Educational Virtual,Reality, Instructional Virtual,Reality, Virtual,Virtual Realities, Educational,Virtual Realities, Instructional
D001007 Anxiety Feelings or emotions of dread, apprehension, and impending disaster but not disabling as with ANXIETY DISORDERS. Angst,Anxiousness,Hypervigilance,Nervousness,Social Anxiety,Anxieties, Social,Anxiety, Social,Social Anxieties

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