ArticleHealthcare (Basel, Switzerland)2022
Virtual Reality Combined with Artificial Intelligence (VR-AI) Reduces Hot Flashes and Improves Psychological Well-Being in Women with Breast and Ovarian Cancer: A Pilot Study.
Article in Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 36 citations in OpenAlex.
- Patient-Facing AI-Enabled Digital Health Technologies and Quality of Life in Cancer: Systematic Review and Exploratory Meta-Analysis.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Pooled it
- Artificial intelligence in ovarian pathophysiology and management: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of ovarian research · 2026Pooled it
- OncoVR - Virtual Reality in Oncology for Patient-centered Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Current oncology reports · 2026Pooled it
- The Effectiveness and Feasibility of Conversational Agents in Supporting Care for Patients With Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Pooled it
- Evaluating virtual reality technology in psychotherapy: impacts on anxiety, depression, and ADHD.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Effects of Immersive Virtual Therapy as a Method Supporting the Psychological and Physical Well-Being of Women with a Breast Cancer Diagnosis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2024Trial
- Virtual Therapy Complementary Prehabilitation of Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer-A Pilot Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Trial
- Do virtual reality-based therapies affect symptomatology and psychosocial functioning in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis.BJPsych open · 2026Review
- Extended reality in supporting cancer patients and survivors: A systematic review on the benefits and challenges across the cancer care continuum.Future healthcare journal · 2026Review
- Integrating digital solutions improves mental health management in cancer care.Communications medicine · 2026Review
- Qualitative study on body image disturbance in young and middle-aged women with breast cancer in China.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Psychological adjustment differences in ovarian cancer patients receiving different treatment modalities and their clinical significance.World journal of psychiatry · 2025Article
- Effect of virtual reality-based mindfulness training model on anxiety, depression, and cancer-related fatigue in ovarian cancer patients during chemotherapy.Technology and health care : official journal of the European Society for Engineering and Medicine · 2024Article
- Acupuncture in cancer care: a narrative review.Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992) · 2024Review
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsBreast and ovarian cancers affect the lives of many women worldwide. Female cancer survivors often experience hot flashes, a subjective sensation of heat associated with objective signs of cutaneous vasodilatation and a subsequent drop in core temperature. Breast and Ovarian cancer patients also suffer from sleep difficulties and mental health issues. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of Bubble, a novel artificial intelligence-virtual reality (AI-VR) intervention for the treatment of hot flashes in female breast or ovarian cancer patients.
methodsForty-two women with breast and/or ovarian cancer participated in the study. The mean age was 47 years (range: 25-60 years). Patients suffered from hot flashes at different frequencies. They used Bubble, a virtual reality (VR) mobile psychological intervention based on elements from both cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction. The intervention took place in a VR environment, in a winter wonderland setting called Frosty. Patients were instructed to use Bubble at home twice a day (morning and evening) and when experiencing a hot flash. Participants were asked to use the application for 24 consecutive days. Before and after this 24-day period, patients completed self-report questionnaires assessing hot flashes, general psychiatric distress, perceived stress, illness perception, sleep quality, and quality of life.
resultsBetween pre- and post-intervention, participants reported a significant reduction in the daily frequency of hot flashes, stress, general psychiatric distress, several domains of QOL, and sleep difficulties, as well as an improvement in illness perception. In addition, they reported very high satisfaction with Bubble. Importantly, both age and baseline levels of psychopathology moderated the effect of Bubble on sleep difficulties. DISCUSSION: This study showed preliminary evidence for the potential of VR interventions in alleviating hot flashes and accompanying mental distress among those coping with breast and ovarian cancer. VR is a powerful therapeutic tool, able to address mind-body aspects in a direct, vivid way. More studies are needed in order to fully understand the potential of this unique intervention.
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