MUHC studying whether VR can help cancer patients

First deployed on the oncology ward of the MUHC, the project quickly attracted the attention of the intensive care team, who expressed interest in participating. (Courtesy: MUHC)

A study launched at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) aims to evaluate the effects of virtual reality (VR) sessions on the health and well‑being of patients admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital with advanced cancer.

The AVATAR study involves patients hospitalized for advanced cancer in the oncology unit, as well as a small number of patients in the palliative care unit.

“I’ve been a physician on this floor for more than five years, and I realized that a patient admitted to the oncology unit moves less, becomes a bit more depressed. It’s not a floor that invites people to be very happy or energetic,” said the study’s lead, Dr. Ramy Saleh, a medical oncologist at the MUHC.

The idea for the study came when Saleh saw a patient using a virtual reality device to relax and distract herself. Reviewing the scientific literature, he found that the topic has received little attention to date.

Participants are offered five virtual environments, ranging from relaxation exercises to interactive games requiring movement. The goal is to determine whether these virtual “escapes” provide measurable and meaningful benefits to patients’ emotional well‑being and health.

“We approach patients for five consecutive days during their hospital stay,” Saleh explained. “We want to see if VR promotes relaxation, reduces stress, eases symptoms like pain, anxiety, depression and demoralization, and also whether it can encourage patients to move a little more.”

Patients are asked to complete questionnaires before and after the VR session to begin quantifying and measuring its impact.

Initially launched in the oncology unit, the project quickly drew interest from the intensive care team, which expressed a desire to participate.

“Honestly, in oncology, most of the time we conduct clinical studies with medications. Rarely do we do non‑drug research,” Saleh said.

“This is something that interests me a lot. Is there a way to help our patients beyond medications? Virtual reality is one of those options.”

So far, the study has been well received, he said. Patients coming for treatment are requesting access to VR, and staff even had to deal with a very upset patient whose scheduled VR session had “already” passed.

But the goal of virtual reality, Saleh emphasized, is not just to distract patients. It is also to encourage them to move more to counteract the physical deconditioning that can result from hospitalization.

“In the hospital, you eat in your bed, the doctor sees you in your bed, you shower in your room,” he said. “When patients are discharged home, they’re a bit more tired because they’re resuming their ‘normal’ life. With VR, we want patients to be more active.”

This is especially important, Saleh added, because some patients hesitate to leave their room and walk the hallways due to the effects of treatment on their physical appearance. With VR, they can move around in their room, out of sight of others.

“This is something very new, so we’re taking it one day at a time, reassessing as we go, but it’s already so ‘cool,’” Saleh said enthusiastically. “It’s not something that’s going to cost our public system much. There’s a way to stimulate their mental state positively without drugs, so there are many advantages.”

By Jean-Benoit Legault

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 22, 2026.