United States: Health experts demonstrate that virtual reality (VR) supplies meaningful pain reduction to cancer patients.
The team found, through published findings in Scientific Reports, that several cancer patients under evaluation experienced pain reduction through virtual reality headset use, which allowed them to view authentic underwater scenes.
More about the news
Research data supported by brain imaging demonstrated substantial neural circuit communication changes in brain pain networks, according to scientists.
According to the lead researcher, Somayeh Besharat Shafiei, who is an assistant professor of oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, N.Y., “This study signals a new era in precision medicine where neuroimaging and digital therapeutics revolutionize pain assessment and treatment,” US News reported.
📢 Breaking new ground in pain management!
— Roswell Park (@RoswellPark) March 26, 2025
A Roswell Park-led study shows that advanced brain imaging and virtual reality (VR) can effectively relieve cancer pain—without opioids.
Read more about this exciting breakthrough: https://t.co/PbT03lXAse pic.twitter.com/6RJQEp1LbA
“This combination therapy could reshape clinical pain management protocols, reduce reliance on opioids, and improve the quality of life for millions of cancer patients worldwide,” she noted.
What have the experts found?
Research notes state that cancer pain remains improperly managed at rates between 60% and 80%, and severe pain develops in 40% of cancer patients during their end-of-life stage.
Research professionals confirmed that distraction serves as a pain management method that directs thoughts toward stimulating activities to reduce the experience of suffering.
Researchers assessed the ability of VR headsets to provide distraction by allowing 41 patients to explore an underwater world during their use of the equipment.
The VR study required patients to wear head caps, which measured their brain functions through functional near-infrared spectroscopy during the experiment.
The head cap enabled scientists to measure brain pain responses independently through objective assessments, US News reported.
The study measured the pain change in VR patients post-VR application against normal patient groups consisting of 13 healthy participants and 93 cancer patients who received 10 minutes of static headcap treatment.
Testing results indicated VR treatment caused over 75% of patients to experience such significant pain reduction that surpassed the established 30% clinical threshold, according to researcher findings.
According to brain imaging data, VR produced modifications in the transmission processes of brain pain signals.