Virtual reality and surgical oncology.

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Medical Education Technology
• Global Health

Background:

• Over 80% of cancer patients need surgery, yet less than 5% in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) access safe, affordable surgical care.
• A significant barrier to surgical care in LMICs is the shortage of trained surgical professionals.
• Virtual reality (VR) is recognized as a potential tool for surgical training, but its specific use in surgical oncology remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the application and validation of VR in surgical oncology globally from 2011 to 2021.
• To identify trends in VR adoption across different surgical specialties and cancer types.
• To assess the current state of VR technology in addressing the global surgical workforce gap.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of 24 articles published between January 2011 and December 2021.
• Analysis of VR applications in various surgical specialties and cancer treatment pathways.
• Evaluation of the validation methods used for VR surgical training tools.

Main Results:

• VR application in surgical oncology is limited, with a preference for high-income countries and complex procedures.
• Significant gaps exist in VR accessibility and standardization for clinical evaluation and implementation science.
• While VR tools demonstrate face and content validity, construct validity is inconsistent, and predictive validity is largely absent.

Conclusions:

• Current VR technology development is misaligned with global cancer surgery demands, hindering its potential for capacity building.
• There is a critical need for standardized clinical evaluation and implementation strategies for VR in surgical training.
• Future research should prioritize developing cost-effective VR solutions with proven predictive validity for high-demand surgeries in LMICs.