Virtual Reality for Outpatient Cancer Pain Management

NCT05442866 | Completed Results DMC FDA Device

• 2 other identifiers: STUDY00004928U2CNR014637
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 33
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This is a non-randomized, unblinded dose-titration study to evaluate different "doses" of virtual reality to impact moderate-to-severe pain in patients living with cancer. After consenting to participate, in addition to usual pharmacologic pain management, participants will receive 1 week of VR daily for 10 minutes per session, then 1 week of VR twice a day for 10 minutes per session, then 1 week of VR use as desired by the participants.

Conditions

Cancer; Cancer Pain

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Self-reported Pain Score

  Participant reports average pain (Likert scale 0-10, 0=pain, 10=worst pain) over last 7 days; results report the average change in self-reported pain score per study week, from baseline (Study day 0) to each subsequent measurement (measured on Study day 7 (week 1), Study day 14 (week 2), Study day 21(week 3))

  3 weeks (baseline to Study day 21)

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• PROMIS Pain Interference Short Form

  3 weeks (baseline to Study day 21)

• Number of As-needed Opioid Doses Per Day

  3 weeks (baseline day 0 to Study day 21)

• Satisfaction With Overall Pain Management

  3 weeks (baseline to Study day 21)

• Satisfaction With Virtual Reality Intervention Over Previous 7 Days

  3 weeks (baseline to Study day 21)

• Preferences for Virtual Reality Thematic Content (Measured Once, With no Comparison)

  Study day 21

Study Arms (1)

Virtual reality (VR) dosing arm

EXPERIMENTAL

All participants will proceed in this single arm, in which each participant will complete baseline measures, then receive 1 week of VR daily for 10 minutes per session, then 1 week of VR twice a day for 10 minutes per session, then 1 week of VR use as desired by the participant.

Device: Virtual reality experience for 10 minutes

Interventions

Virtual reality experience for 10 minutes DEVICE

Each 10-minute VR session will be self-administered (by each participant) using the Facebook (Facebook Inc., Menlo Park, CA) Meta Quest 2 VR and Touch controllers. This equipment was selected because it is portable, has built in audio, and has clear graphics at a lower price than VR setups that require a computer to generate graphics. The headset has an optional eyeglass spacer to allow participants to wear corrective eyeglasses during the VR session if appropriate. The hand controllers facilitate immersive, interactive VR experiences. The VR software, Nature Treks VR application (https://naturetreksvr.com) that features ten non-violent, nature-based experiences in peaceful environments (e.g. forest, river, beach, etc.) that can be played in a seated or fixed position.

Virtual reality (VR) dosing arm

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 18 years and older
• Have diagnosis of cancer (any type)
• Report moderate-severe pain related to cancer or cancer treatment at baseline
• Able to provide consent

You may not qualify if:

• Already use VR for personal use
• Have intractable nausea/vomiting, history of motion sickness, history of seizures or epilepsy
• Have cranial structure abnormalities that prevent use of VR headset
• Currently enrolled in a palliative care or pain management study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Medstar Health Research Institute: lead
• National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

MedStar Washington Hospital Center

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20010, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Groninger H, Violanti D, McPherson ML, Hopkins K, Carr AL, Hurtado M, Mete M. Virtual reality for outpatient management of cancer pain: a pilot dosing study. Support Care Cancer. 2025 Jul 14;33(8):690. doi: 10.1007/s00520-025-09723-z.

  PMID: 40653577 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neoplasms; Cancer Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Hunter Groninger
• Organization: MedStar Health Research Institute

hunter.groninger@medstar.net

202-877-7445

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 23, 2022
• First Posted: July 5, 2022
• Study Start: July 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: June 30, 2023
• Study Completion: June 30, 2023
• Last Updated: May 25, 2025
• Results First Posted: May 25, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)