Cancer-related Fatigue and Symptom Clusters - Effects of Virtual, Imagined and Real-life Nature-based Therapy in Cancer Survivors

Launched by ROBERT BOSCH GESELLSCHAFT FÜR MEDIZINISCHE FORSCHUNG MBH · Apr 8, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at how different types of nature-based therapies can help improve symptoms and quality of life for cancer survivors who experience fatigue. Researchers want to compare three different therapies: a virtual reality experience that simulates a forest, a guided imagery session where participants imagine being in nature, and a traditional method called forest bathing, where people spend time in a real forest. Each therapy session lasts 30 minutes and happens once a week for eight weeks. Participants will be divided into groups, with some receiving the therapies and others on a wait-list for comparison.

To be eligible for this trial, participants must have finished their cancer treatment and feel fatigued as a result, rating their fatigue as moderate to severe. They should not expect to start any new cancer treatments in the next six months. Certain health conditions, such as uncontrolled depression, asthma, or allergies to specific scents, may prevent someone from joining the study. Participants will need to give written consent and should not smoke shortly before their sessions. This trial aims to explore how these nature-based therapies can help ease the fatigue many cancer survivors experience, potentially leading to better overall well-being.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Patients who have completed treatment for cancer (\*with the exception of long-term adjuvant endocrine therapy).
• • Subjective Impairment due to Cancer-Related Fatigue (CrF) . NCCN-recommended questions are used for screening ("How exhausted do you feel on a scale of 0 to 10?" and "How impaired do you feel by this fatigue on a scale of 0 to 10?" (threshold \>4 on either scale).
• • At the time of study inclusion, it must be expected that no further antitumor therapy measures will be started within the next 6 months.
• • Patients must be able to refrain from smoking up to 15 minutes before the intervention (smoking within 15 minutes before therapy impairs the participant's ability to perceive the aroma of the phytoncides).
• • Written and valid informed consent from the patient.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Presence of inadequately controlled major depression in the opinion of the investigator.
• • Asthma (inhaled phytoncides may cause airway irritation, exacerbation of asthma, or bronchoconstriction).
• • Known allergy to pine or citrus fragrance.
• • Anosmie.
• • Medical history of seasickness (virtual reality can cause nausea/vomiting with no improvement after 5-10 minutes).
• • History of seizures (virtual reality may increase susceptibility to seizures due to the changing light in the forest video).
• • Visual and hearing impairments that are not corrected by visual or hearing aids.
• • Unwillingness to store and share personal medical data as part of the protocol.
• • Participation in another clinical trial focusing on behavioural or complementary medicine interventions.
• • Missing or incomplete consent form.