Assessing safety and feasibility of virtual reality intervention in patients with lung cancer: a pilot study

Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths, severely impacts psychological well-being, worsened by the stigma of smoking behavior. This study evaluated the safety, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of customized virtual reality (VR) software for people with lung cancer, focusing on its potential to enhance mental health in patient care.

Patients with lung cancer undergoing concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy were enrolled in our phase 1 single-arm proof-of-concept trial. Participants were immersed in our new Joviality™ VR program during the pre-medication phase of their treatment and engaged in a 25-min 3D session to learn about identifying and benefiting from positive emotions. Participants recorded motion-related symptoms and discomfort using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire before and after exposure. Pain, anxiety, and fatigue were also captured. Utility measures assessed immersion, interaction with virtual objects, hardware usability, and program navigation ease.

Eleven patients enrolled, mean age of 65.8 (± 5.3) years, 72.7% male, 72.7% non-Hispanic White. Only 18.2% had prior VR experience. Participants reported a high sense of presence in the VR environment, scoring 5.26 out of 7, while the system usability score of 78.2 indicated excellent ease of use. Promising safety trends showed no exacerbation of motion sickness, while significant improvements were observed in anxiety (p = 0.04), fatigue (p = 0.03), and pain for preliminary efficacy.

VR shows promise as an adjunct for enhancing mental health in lung cancer care. Findings suggest feasibility, safety, and early efficacy in reducing psychological distress and symptom burden, warranting investigation in larger-scale trials to confirm benefits.