The use of virtual reality in cancer patient health education: A scoping review

This scoping review aimed to identify and summarize the current research on virtual reality (VR) technologies used for health education in cancer patients, as well as to identify key areas of application.

In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was performed across 11 electronic databases and gray literature sources from inception to 12 September 2025. Studies employing immersive VR tools to improve health education outcomes in cancer patients were included. Data extraction and thematic synthesis were conducted to map evidence regarding VR modalities, educational applications, and outcome measures.

Twenty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria. VR was applied across four primary educational scenarios, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, and healthy behavior (including rehabilitation, smoking cessation, and self-management). Eight distinct VR modalities were identified, namely VR videos, virtual environments, virtual environment for radiotherapy training (VERT), VR interactions, 3D models, VR games, VR non-player characters (VR NPCs), and virtual libraries. Among these, VR videos (50.0 %), virtual environments (46.4 %), and VR interactions (28.6 %) were the most frequently employed. The interventions led to significant improvements in patient knowledge, skills, attitudes, health behaviors, and psychological well-being. A clear evolution in VR educational approaches has been observed, shifting from static environmental familiarization toward interactive, gamified, and intelligence-driven experiences. Nevertheless, notable gaps remain regarding safety protocols and data privacy protections, with only a minority of studies addressing these issues.

VR technologies demonstrate considerable promise as an innovative educational tool in oncology care, enhancing patient understanding, psychological preparedness, and engagement throughout the cancer journey. Future implementation must address infrastructural, ethical, and user-centered design barriers to facilitate the scalable and sustainable integration of this approach into clinical practice.