SynthesisFrontiers in oncology2026
Bibliometric analysis of VR interventions in cancer research based on multiple databases: mapping research hotspots and developmental trends.
Synthesis in Frontiers in oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Virtual reality (VR) has become an increasingly popular tool in cancer care over the years. It shows promise in areas like pain management, psychological support, surgical training, and rehabilitation. Even though more studies are being done, there has not been a thorough analysis of the research trends in this field. This study looks at how VR interventions in cancer research have evolved over the past two decades, identifies research hotspots, and explores future directions. Methods: We collected publications related to VR in cancer research from the Web of Science Core Collection and Pubmed, covering the period from 2005 to 2025. Using VOSviewer and CiteSpace software, we performed bibliometric and visual analyses. These included examining publication trends, contributions by countries and institutions, author collaboration networks, journal impact, keyword co-occurrence, and citation bursts. Results: A total of 1,259 publications from 110 countries were included. The number of publications fluctuated over time but generally increased, reaching its highest point in 2024 with 184 articles. The United States and China were the most active countries. Jordan had the highest average number of citations per paper. Among institutions, McGill University published the most papers, followed by the University of Toronto. The most productive journal was Surgical Endoscopy and Other Interventional Techniques, whilst Cancers and Supportive Care in Cancer showed the fastest growth. Main research themes included pain management, anxiety reduction, breast cancer, and surgical training. Emerging trends involve the combination of augmented reality (AR), digital health, and artificial intelligence (AI) with VR. Conclusion: This study shows that VR research in cancer care is expanding worldwide, with most contributions coming from North America and Europe. Pain management remains the most common application. New technologies such as AR, AI, and telemedicine are becoming more integrated into VR interventions.
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What OpenQuestion holds
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.