IARC launches VRtuose project website

A new website from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) presents the Virtual RealiTy and mUsic in the Oncology SEtting (VRtuose) study. VRtuose is a collaborative project between IARC and Centre Léon Bérard (Lyon), one of the major cancer treatment centres in France.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer type in women worldwide, and chemotherapy is a common treatment, but the side-effects may severely alter the quality of life of patients. The goal of the VRtuose project is to evaluate whether implementing virtual reality (VR) devices in an outpatient chemotherapy unit could improve the quality of life of patients with breast cancer who are undergoing treatment.

As part of the first phase of the project, researchers from IARC and Centre Léon Bérard are currently evaluating (i) the feasibility of delivering a VR distraction tool to patients with breast cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy, (ii) the acceptability of the tool for both health-care providers and patients, and (iii) the tolerability of the tool in patients with breast cancer. Conducting this study will provide information about whether the use of VR distraction tools fits the needs of patients with breast cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy and whether it is compatible with clinical practice.

The VRtuose feasibility study is funded by a 2023 Quality of Life prize from the Association Ruban Rose.

Visit the VRtuose website