Virtual Reality and Digital Interventions in Cancer Pain Relief: A New Frontier in Supportive Oncology Care

A BSTRACT Cancer-related pain remains a complex challenge, often resistant to pharmacological treatment due to drug side effects and the multidimensional nature of pain. Emerging technologies, particularly virtual reality (VR) and digital health tools, offer innovative, non-invasive approaches that target both sensory and cognitive pain pathways. This review evaluates current evidence on VR and digital interventions – including mobile apps, wearables, and artificial intelligence-driven platforms – for managing acute and chronic cancer pain. VR has shown efficacy in reducing pain intensity and distress during chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and procedures through mechanisms such as immersive distraction and neuroplasticity modulation. Digital tools support self-management and real-time symptom tracking but face barriers related to access, standardization, and regulation. VR and digital health represent a promising shift toward multimodal, personalized pain management in oncology, warranting further large-scale trials and clinical integration.