Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40632238›Full record

SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025

Virtual reality for cancer symptom management: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

Tuğçe Uçgun, Ebru Akgün Çitak

Registry-linked trialAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07752680 (The Effect of Virtual Reality Headset Use on Pain, Comfort, and Psychosocial Symptoms in Children Undergoing Hypospadias Surgery), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07752680 nacompletednot on this map

The Effect of Virtual Reality Headset Use on Pain, Comfort, and Psychosocial Symptoms in Children Undergoing Hypospadias Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

TypeinterventionalSponsorIstanbul Medipol University HospitalRan2025 to 2026Enrolled62ConditionsPain, Comfort, Psychosocial SymptomsArmsVirtual reality headset, routine clinical practice
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Tuğçe UçgunNursing Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Başkent University, Ankara, Turkey.
Ebru Akgün ÇitakNursing Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Başkent University, Ankara, Turkey. citak@baskent.edu.tr.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of VR interventions in managing symptoms and improving well-being among pediatric and adult cancer patients.

methodsIn this study, between 2019 and 2024, randomized controlled studies were searched through PubMed (MEDLINE), EBSCO, and SCOPUS. MeSH (Medical Subjects Headings) were searched for keywords, and Boolean connectors were used to search for the keywords "virtual reality" AND ("cancer" OR "cancer patients"). Only randomized controlled trials focused specifically on symptom management and published in English were included in this systematic review. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools, and The Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool 2.0 (RoB 2) was used to evaluate the risk of bias in randomized trials. The study is registered in PROSPERO with the registration number CRD42024582573.

resultsA total of 637 articles were identified. After eliminating studies with repetitive and inappropriate subject titles, content, methods, or samples, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. Among them, seven studies addressed pediatric populations and eight focused on adult patients. Quality appraisal indicated that four studies demonstrated strong methodological rigor, while the remaining eleven were rated as moderate. The included studies reported that VR interventions were effective in managing a wide range of physical symptoms (e.g., pain, nausea, fatigue, sleep quality, and vital signs) and psychological symptoms (e.g., anxiety, fear, depression, mood changes, and overall well-being) in both pediatric and adult cancer patients.

conclusionThrough a systematic review of 15 studies, our findings underscore VR's effectiveness in overall psychological well-being and comfort among pediatric and adult cancer patients. These results highlight VR as a valuable tool in comprehensive cancer care, emphasizing its potential to alleviate symptoms and enhance the quality of life in this population.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsVirtual RealityAdultChildHumansQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicNeoplasmsQuality of lifeRandomized controlled trialSymptomsVirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID40632238

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.