On-Table Virtual Reality to Reduce Anxiety/Distress during Radiation Treatments: A Pilot Randomized Trial.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Psychology
• Medical Technology

Background:

• Radiation therapy (RT) can cause significant anxiety and distress for patients.
• Non-pharmacologic interventions are sought to improve patient experience during RT.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of on-table virtual reality (VR) headsets in reducing anxiety and distress during external beam radiation therapy.
• To determine the optimal timing for VR intervention initiation.

Main Methods:

• A randomized pilot study involving 10 patients undergoing external beam RT.
• Patients were assigned to either immediate VR (starting week 1) or delayed VR (starting week 2).
• Distress scores were measured to assess the impact of VR intervention.

Main Results:

• 100% of patients in the immediate VR group showed reduced distress after the first treatment, versus 16.7% in the delayed VR group (P = .048).
• While initial distress reduction was noted, score changes did not consistently meet the minimal clinically important difference.
• By day 5, distress score changes were similar between groups.
• 80% of all patients reported VR improved their RT experience or would recommend it, especially those with moderate/high baseline anxiety.

Conclusions:

• On-table VR is a feasible, non-pharmacologic intervention for mitigating anxiety during radiation therapy.
• VR may be particularly beneficial at the onset of treatment for patients with moderate to high baseline anxiety.
• Further research with larger cohorts is warranted to confirm these findings and optimize VR integration into RT protocols.