A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the effectiveness of immersive virtual reality in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy

Purpose: Immersive virtual reality (IVR) shows promise in cancer care, especially for chemotherapy patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis assesses IVR's impact on adult and pediatric cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We focused on anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain, and anxiety in adults and pain and anxiety in pediatric patients. Results: Fifteen trials were included, enrolling 607 adult and 257 pediatric cancer patients. IVR significantly reduced anxiety (SMD = −1.89, 95% CI = −2.93 to −0.85), depression (SMD = −1.85, 95% CI = −3.14 to −0.55), fatigue (SMD = −3.40, 95% CI = −5.54 to −1.26), and systolic blood pressure (MD = −3.54, 95% CI = −6.67 to −0.40) in adults. In pediatric patients, IVR significantly lowered pain (SMD = −1.17, 95% CI = −1.84 to −0.50) and anxiety (SMD = −1.18, 95% CI = −1.77 to −0.59) but not heart rate (MD = 0.48, 95% CI = −2.38 to 3.34). Conclusion: IVR effectively reduces anxiety, depression, fatigue, systolic blood pressure, pain, and anxiety in cancer patients. More robust RCTs are needed for further IVR research.