Adverse Events in Symptom Management Interventions Using Immersive Virtual Reality in Older Adults with Cancer - Poster Session

Sep 29, 2026

Emerging evidence indicates immersive virtual reality (VR) interventions may boost motivation and engagement in health-promoting behaviors for cancer patients, yet risks remain incompletely validated. This report synthesizes adverse events from a systematic review of randomized controlled trials of VR-based symptom management across 29 studies, with limited inclusion of adults over 65. Reported events include nausea, visual discomfort, fatigue, dizziness, drowsiness, and vomiting, alongside substantial gaps in AE reporting. Pre-existing symptoms were linked to post-VR adverse events, highlighting the need for rigorous, VR-specific risk evaluation, including vestibular and psychological impacts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

Adverse events in VR symptom management

Evidence base from randomized controlled trials

Adverse event types reported

Reporting gaps and measurement limitations

Risk factors and need for VR-specific evaluation

Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 947 Emerging evidence shows that Virtual reality (VR) based interventions can improve motivation and engagement in health-promoting behaviors, offering a promising approach for cancer patients who struggle with symptom burden during and after treatment. While VR-based interventions show therapeutic potential, its effectiveness cannot be fully validated without a critical evaluation of its potential risks. The goal of this report is to describe the adverse events (AE’s) reported from our systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of symptom management interventions using VR among cancer populations, especially older adults. Among the 29 studies reviewed, 2 studies included adults over age 65. Of these, 11 did not present information on AE’s and 5 stated that no AE’s were observed. In the remaining studies, difficulty concentrating, mild nausea, tired or aching eyes, moderate fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness and vomiting were reported. Of the 2 studies with older adults, one reported similar AE’s as above, the other recorded no AE. One study found that pre-existing symptoms before VR interventions were significantly associated with post-VR AE’s. Validated instruments were used to assess AE’s in only 5 studies. One study used semi-structured interviews. Overall, this review identified substantial gaps in the reporting of adverse events, especially among older adults. This emphasizes the need for more rigorous documentation and evaluation of the risks associated with VR interventions. Because, current clinical trial reporting primarily focuses on severe AE’s, such as impairment on overall health, a more VR specific approach of evaluation of AE’s, including vestibular and psychological impacts, is needed. SESSION 7425 (POSTER) CANCER Abstract citation ID: igaf122.3199 ADVERSE EVENTS IN SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS USING IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY IN OLDER ADULTS WITH CANCER Kailei Yan, and Victoria Loerzel, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, United States

FAQs

What is the purpose of the report on VR symptom management?

It describes adverse events reported in randomized controlled trials of VR-based symptom management interventions across cancer populations, with special attention to older adults.

Which adverse events were reported in the included studies?

Reported events included difficulty concentrating, mild nausea, tired or aching eyes, moderate fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness, and vomiting.

Why is a more VR-specific evaluation approach needed?

The review found substantial gaps in adverse event reporting, especially among older adults, and current clinical trial reporting often focuses mainly on severe adverse events rather than VR-specific effects such as vestibular and psychological impacts.

Sep 29, 2026

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