NCT06985784Recruiting
Virtual Reality Interventions for the Improvement of Depression, Anxiety and Pain in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer and Caregivers
Enhancing Patient Well-Being: Feasibility of Virtual Reality in Head and Neck Cancer Patients to Improve Depressive Symptomatology, Anxiety and Pain
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 10 Nov 2025
Brief summary (registry, in English)
This clinical trial tests how well a three-dimensional (3D) mindfulness virtual reality (VR) versus (vs) two-dimensional (2D) non-immersive interventions works in improving depression, anxiety, pain, and/or stress in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) undergoing radiation or chemoradiation (C/RT), and their caregivers. HNC patients undergoing C/RT can experience higher levels of depression, anxiety, distress and pain that negatively impact their quality of life. VR allows for a realistic experience and works as an effective distraction tool from the state of pain or anxiety without use of drugs and with minimal associated risk to patients. VR has been shown to help reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and pain in non-cancer patients, however there is limited evidence of how well VR use works in cancer patients, especially in patients undergoing C/RT for HNC. Caregivers of these patients also experience high levels of anxiety and distress. Using VR interventions may improve depression, anxiety, pain and/or stress in patients with HNC undergoing C/RT and their caregivers.
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 40 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 15 May 2025
- Start date
- 25 Jun 2025
- Primary completion date
- 9 Nov 2027
- Lead sponsor
- City of Hope Medical Center
- Diseases
- Head and neck cancer
- NCT number
- NCT06985784
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 40
- From 25 Jun 2025 to the primary completion date, 9 Nov 2027
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- PATIENTS: Previous head and neck cancer treatment
- PATIENTS: History of any psychiatric disease treatment with anti-depressants, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic pain (\> 3 months)
- CAREGIVERS: History of any psychiatric disease treatment with anti-depressants, substance abuse, PTSD
Other illness
- PATIENTS: Serious mental illness
- PATIENTS: Cancer in or around the eyes or ears; visual, hearing or cognitive impairment
- CAREGIVERS: Serious mental illness
Other
- PATIENTS: An employee who is under the direct/ indirect supervision of the principal investigator (PI)/ a co-investigator/ the study manager
- PATIENTS: A direct study team member
- PATIENTS: Inability to complete the surveys
- CAREGIVERS: An employee who is under the direct/ indirect supervision of the PI/ a co-investigator/ the study manager
- CAREGIVERS: A direct study team member
- CAREGIVERS: Inability to complete the surveys
Who the study is looking for
- PATIENTS: Documented informed consent of the participant and/or legally authorized representative
- Assent, when appropriate, will be obtained per institutional guidelines
- PATIENTS: ≥ 18 years
- PATIENTS: Self-reported normal or corrected to normal vision and hearing
- PATIENTS: Ambulatory (permitted to use walking aids such as cane or crutch)
- PATIENTS: Ability to read and understand English for questionnaires
- PATIENTS: Scheduled to undergo C/RT for their HNC
- CAREGIVERS: Documented informed consent of the participant and/or legally authorized representative
- Assent, when appropriate, will be obtained per institutional guidelines
- CAREGIVERS: ≥ 18 years
- CAREGIVERS: Self-reported normal or corrected to normal vision and hearing
- CAREGIVERS: Ability to read and understand English for questionnaires
- CAREGIVERS: A care giver identified by the patient and defined as a person who knows the patient well and is involved in the patient's medical care
Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Accepts healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Save your city in your profile to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Hope Medical Center Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Duarte | United States | Recruiting |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.