Virtual reality to reduce psychological symptom burden during cancer treatment
Official title: Pilot Study to Assess Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of Virtual Reality in Cancer Patients
Run by Mayo Clinic · NCT07221409 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will try virtual reality sessions to reduce anxiety, depression, and adjustment symptoms for adults receiving cancer treatment.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 90 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 24 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Mayo Clinic Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | chimeric antigen receptor, chemotherapy |
| Locations | 1 site (Jacksonville, Florida) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 8, 2025 |
| Main results expected | October 8, 2027 |
| Study ends | October 8, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | October 26, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07221409 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults aged 18–90 with a history of cancer who are currently receiving inpatient or outpatient chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant, or CAR-T therapy and who do not have the listed psychiatric or neurologic exclusions.
✕Probably not a fit
People with serious psychiatric disorders (for example, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, recent suicidal ideation) or neurologic/vestibular conditions (for example epilepsy, recent stroke, benign positional vertigo, Meniere's disease) may be excluded or unlikely to benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This single-center interventional study delivers preloaded immersive virtual reality environments (for example, serene forests, coral reefs, and waterfalls) to adult cancer patients undergoing inpatient or outpatient chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant, or CAR-T therapy. Participants use VR sessions and complete standardized questionnaires to track psychological symptoms, quality of life, and any side effects. The trial monitors safety and tolerability as well as changes in anxiety, depression, and adjustment-related symptom burden over the treatment course. Patients with certain psychiatric disorders or neurologic conditions that increase seizure or syncopal risk are excluded.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms and improve quality of life for patients during cancer treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Prior small studies of virtual reality for cancer-related anxiety and procedural distress have shown promising reductions in anxiety and improved mood, but larger randomized data are still limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * History of cancer * Age between 18 to 90 years * Undergoing in-patient chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant (BMT), chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-t, \& out-patient chemotherapy Exclusion Criteria: * History of bipolar disorder, major depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), psychotic disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorder, substance use disorder other than caffeine or tobacco. History of suicidal ideation or attempt * History of treatment resistant depression, psychiatric hospitalization, syncope, transient ischemic attack (TIA), stroke, epilepsy, electroconvulsive therapy, benign positional vertigo, Meniere's disease
Where it's running
-
Mayo Clinic in Florida
Jacksonville, Florida, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Juan C. Cardenas Rosales, MD — Mayo Clinic
- Study coordinator: Wendi Lehman
- Email: lehman.wendi@mayo.edu
- Phone: 904-953-8742
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.