Decreasing Chemotherapy Induced Distress Using Immersive Virtual Reality in Patients With Cancer

NCT ID: NCT06446115

Last Updated: 2025-11-06

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

70 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-11-05

Study Completion Date

2026-01-30

Brief Summary

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The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the use of virtual reality during chemotherapy treatment helps participants achieve an improvement in distress, which may include unpleasant experience, anxiety, depression and/or pain.

Participants will:

* Be randomly assigned to one of two available groups (virtual reality or standard of care)
* Participations will only be during one chemotherapy session.
* Those assigned to virtual reality:

* The research team will provide a virtual reality
* The research team will provide guidance on how the headset works and will be available to assist with any questions or concerns.
* Participants will also be able to choose different relaxing backgrounds depending on their preference. headset during the chemotherapy session for 15 to 30 minutes
* Those assigned to the standard of care:

* The research team will provide the participants with the opportunity to choose a preferred activity such as reading a book, watching television, etc.

Detailed Description

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In recent decades, new cancer cases have consistently risen. Participants diagnosed with cancer commonly face psychological symptoms including distress, anxiety, and depression in addition to physical symptoms (i.e., pain). Importantly, these symptoms might be exacerbated during chemotherapy sessions. New innovative technological strategies have been under development to control the symptoms and improve quality of life. Immersive virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that enables participants to interact with an artificial three-dimensional visual and auditory environment. VR could be an innovative intervention to relieve psychological symptoms associated with chemotherapy.

Conditions

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Malignant Neoplasm Cancer

Keywords

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Virtual Reality Chemotherapy

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

This is a two-arm, randomized 1:1, pilot study.
Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Virtual reality

Participants will be asked to use a headset device during 15 to 30 minutes while receiving a chemotherapy infusion. Participants have the option to choose from different virtual reality setting depending on their preference (i.e., nature videos, meditations, interactive applications, among others).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Virtual Reality

Intervention Type DEVICE

Virtual Reality Headset applied to the participants during chemotherapy session. Participants select their preferred virtual reality experience (i.e., nature videos, meditations, interactive applications, etc). Virtual reality (VR) by definition, is a simulated experience consisting of an experiential environment created by hardware and software technology capable of provoking sensations of real experiences. It can be further divided into 1) immersive; 2) semi-immersive; and 3) non-immersive. Immersive VR employs head-mounted display (HMD) system technology to separate users from their surroundings and engage in real-time with a three-dimensional environment generated by a computer.

Questionnaires

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will be administered multiple pre and post intervention questionnaires including NCCN Distress thermometer, GAD-7 and CCVA.

Standard of care

Participants will be asked to choose any activity of your preference during the chemotherapy session (i.e., watching tv, reading a book, listening to music or a podcast, etc.)

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Preferred activity

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will engage in a preferred activity such as reading, watching television, coloring, etc. during chemotherapy.

Questionnaires

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will be administered multiple pre and post intervention questionnaires including NCCN Distress thermometer, GAD-7 and CCVA.

Interventions

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Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality Headset applied to the participants during chemotherapy session. Participants select their preferred virtual reality experience (i.e., nature videos, meditations, interactive applications, etc). Virtual reality (VR) by definition, is a simulated experience consisting of an experiential environment created by hardware and software technology capable of provoking sensations of real experiences. It can be further divided into 1) immersive; 2) semi-immersive; and 3) non-immersive. Immersive VR employs head-mounted display (HMD) system technology to separate users from their surroundings and engage in real-time with a three-dimensional environment generated by a computer.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Preferred activity

Participants will engage in a preferred activity such as reading, watching television, coloring, etc. during chemotherapy.

Intervention Type OTHER

Questionnaires

Participants will be administered multiple pre and post intervention questionnaires including NCCN Distress thermometer, GAD-7 and CCVA.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age ≥ 18 years.
* Biopsy proven diagnosis of Cancer (any stage or type).
* Must have a National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer Score ≥ 5 any time since diagnosis.
* Must have the ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
* Followed by a medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, and/or breast surgeon at Cleveland Clinic.
* Ability to read and write in English or Spanish.

Exclusion Criteria

* Age \<18 years.
* No prior history of Cancer.
* Prior medical history of severe motion sickness.
* Prior medical history of seizures
* Pregnancy.
* Unable or unwilling to participate in the immersive Virtual Reality study at the Maroone Cancer Center
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Case Comprehensive Cancer Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Zeina Nahleh, MD FACP

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Cleveland Clinic Florida, Maroone Cancer Center

Locations

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Cleveland Clinic Florida, Maroone Cancer Center

Weston, Florida, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Zeina Nahleh, MD FACP

Role: CONTACT

Phone: (954) 659-5840

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Zeina Nahleh, MD, FACP

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

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CASE3124

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id