EDISCIENCES

ABSTRACT

Although advances in pharmacology for cancer treatment result in decreased toxicity for patients, chemotherapy treatments, despite wide variability, lead to significant side effects. Some symptoms such as vomiting, constipation/diarrhea, fever, are routinely treated with the administration of drugs to counteract them. However, symptoms with a high prevalence, such as fatigue, sleep disorders and poor mood, are less easily addressed with pharmacological interventions. Considering patient- centered approach, our working group is looking for a new integrative solution to improve the patient’s quality of life (QoL)-related concerns. Before introducing new solution it is useful to explore their feasibility and acceptance and then evaluate their effectiveness and safety. Over the last 20 years, virtual reality (VR) treatments have been used successfully in various fields (pediatrics, pain treatment, hospitalized patients; 1). The VR devices fully restrict the vision field to content displayed inside the headset screen. Auditory perception is partially restricted and strongly absorbed by the sound inputs of the device, to which attention is shifted, to the detriment of what happens in the immediate vicinity. In terms of operation, the VR device offers a multisensory immersive three-dimensional environment which, by occupying the entire field of vision, favors immersion in the developed experience, rich in colors, variations in scenarios and sounds, constructed and presented so that the perceiving subject finds himself in the "here and now". Since the intent is to promote relaxation and calm, the scenarios are often the representation of naturalistic environment (e.g. green and flowery meadows, flowing water).