Dr Pauline Boucheron receives the Association Ruban Rose Quality of Life prize 2023

Dr Pauline Boucheron, a postdoctoral scientist in the Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), was awarded one of five Quality of Life prizes by the Association Ruban Rose at a ceremony at the French National Assembly in Paris on 18 October 2023. The €150 000 award will fund research for Dr Boucheron’s project Virtual RealiTy and mUsic in the Oncology SEtting (VRtuose), which aims to improve the quality of life of patients with breast cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy through a tool that combines virtual reality with music.

VRtuose will take advantage of the latest virtual reality technologies to enable patients with breast cancer to immerse themselves in an experience, such as travelling to a favourite destination or taking part in an activity of their choice, accompanied by music. The goal is to create an environment that provides temporary distraction from the chemotherapy. The ultimate aim of the project is to evaluate whether offering patients such a tool can help to improve their quality of life by reducing anxiety related to their treatment.

To bring this project to life, IARC researchers will collaborate with the Centre Léon Bérard, a cancer treatment centre in Lyon. The funding will enable the team to first build the tool, in partnership with health-care providers and current or former patients with breast cancer who have experienced chemotherapy, to ensure that it fits their needs. The researchers will then evaluate the feasibility of implementing the tool in routine clinical practice. If it is feasible, they will undertake a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of VRtuose.

The Association Ruban Rose is a French non-profit association dedicated to raising awareness about breast cancer and funding research. Each October, it awards Ruban Rose prizes in support of basic, translational, and clinical research, as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

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