Czech Oliver, Matkowski Rafal, Skórniak Jakub, Malicka Iwona
Department of Physiotherapy, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland.
Lower Silesian Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology Center, Wroclaw, Poland.
Front Oncol. 2025 Aug 4;15:1581604. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1581604. eCollection 2025.
Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer worldwide, with rising incidence and complex treatment challanges. Patients often experience physical and psychological symptoms that negatively affect their quality of life. Virtual Reality (VR) has shown promise as a supportive, non-pharmacological intervention by reducing anxiety, depression, pain and aiding physical rehabilitation in cancer care.
This study evaluated the impact of immersive VR therapy in improving the psychological and physical wellbeing of women with BC at different stages of treatment and compared outcomes across treatment groups.
Fifty-six women were recruited at the Lower Silesian Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology Center in Wroclaw, Poland, and divided into four equal groups (n = 14) based on their treatment stage: recently diagnosed before treatment (diagnosis group), in the perioperative period (surgery group), undergoing radiotherapy (radiotherapy group), and post-treatment (healed group). All participants completed ten VR therapy sessions involving therapeutic tasks in a virtual garden. Outcome measures included anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), coping strategies (Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index). Repeated measures ANOVA was used to) assess changes over time.
Anxiety (F = 15.82, η² = 0.23, p < 0.001), depression (F = 32.48, η² = 0.38, p < 0.001), coping strategies (F = 4.78, η² = 0.08, p = 0.03), physical activity (F = 6.48, η² = 0.11, p = 0.01, and F = 6.97, η² = 0.12, p = 0.01), and sleep quality (F = 9.36, η² = 0.15, p < 0.01) improved significantly. However, no significant differences were found between treatment groups.
Immersive VR therapy effectively supports both mental and physical wellbeing in woman with BC, regardless of treatment stage. These findings suggest VR is a versatile and valuable tool for supportive care in oncology. Future studies should explore it's use in broader clinical settings, including outpatient and home-based care.
乳腺癌是全球最常见的癌症，发病率不断上升，治疗面临诸多复杂挑战。患者常出现对生活质量产生负面影响的身心症状。虚拟现实（VR）已显示出作为一种支持性非药物干预手段的潜力，可减轻焦虑、抑郁、疼痛并辅助癌症护理中的身体康复。
本研究评估沉浸式VR疗法对处于不同治疗阶段的乳腺癌女性心理和身体健康的影响，并比较各治疗组的结果。
在波兰弗罗茨瓦夫的下西里西亚肿瘤学、肺病学和血液学中心招募了56名女性，根据她们的治疗阶段分为四个相等的组（n = 14）：治疗前刚确诊（诊断组）、围手术期（手术组）、正在接受放疗（放疗组）和治疗后（康复组）。所有参与者完成了10次VR治疗课程，内容包括在虚拟花园中的治疗任务。结果测量包括焦虑（状态-特质焦虑量表）、抑郁（贝克抑郁量表）、应对策略（癌症心理适应简易量表）、身体活动（国际身体活动问卷）和睡眠质量（匹兹堡睡眠质量指数）。采用重复测量方差分析来评估随时间的变化。
焦虑（F = 15.82，η² = 0.23，p < 0.001）、抑郁（F = 32.48，η² = 0.38，p < 0.001）、应对策略（F = 4.78，η² = 0.08，p = 0.03）、身体活动（F = 6.48，η² = 0.11，p = 0.01，以及F = 6.97，η² = 0.12，p = 0.01）和睡眠质量（F = 9.36，η² = 0.15，p < 0.0（此处原文有误，推测为p < 0.01））均有显著改善。然而，各治疗组之间未发现显著差异。
沉浸式VR疗法有效支持乳腺癌女性的身心健康，无论其治疗阶段如何。这些发现表明VR是肿瘤学支持性护理中一种通用且有价值的工具。未来的研究应探索其在更广泛临床环境中的应用，包括门诊和家庭护理。
