Cardiovascular Health Education Via Virtual Reality for Breast Cancer Survivors Receiving Anthracyclines or Trastuzumab

July 1, 2026 updated by: Virginia Commonwealth University

Cardiovascular Health Education Via Virtual Reality for Breast Cancer Survivors Receiving Anthracyclines or Trastuzumab - Phase 2

The main goal of this study is to test a virtual reality (VR) program, Survivors' Virtual Reality Survivorship Experience (SurviVRSE), designed to help Breast Cancer survivors (n=30) learn about heart health. The aims are to test the usability, feasibility, and acceptability o the intervention. Additionally, follow-up assessments will examine changes in women's cancer therapy related cardiac dysfunction knowledge and heart healthy behaviors (e.g., physical activity).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The long-term goal is to develop multilevel interventions and inform practice guidelines that mitigate the cancer therapy related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) burden in breast cancer survivors. The overall objective of this of this application is to develop and test a virtual reality (VR) intervention to educate breast survivors about their risk of developing CTRCD following treatment and about behavioral approaches to potentially mitigate risk. VR is emerging as an effective method for improving health-related knowledge, specifically in the context of CTRCD and cardiovascular risk factors, by allowing users to actively engage in medical content. Moreover, content can be tailored to groups of people and to each individual user. The central hypothesis is that the VR intervention will increase women's knowledge of the potential cardiovascular side effects of their treatment and of behavior modifications that may protect their hearts. This hypothesis was formulated preliminary data showing that survivors who received potentially cardiotoxic treatment recommended more information about their treatment and the importance of physical activity early in their primary treatment journey. The rationale for the proposed study is that although VR is gaining popularity as an educational tool, there remains a significant knowledge gap in its utilization in the context of cancer survivorship and implantation in clinic settings.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
30

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Virginia
      • Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23220
        • Recruiting
        • Adult Outpatient Pavilion
        • Contact:
      • Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23220
        • Recruiting
        • Cellular Immunotherapies and Transplant Department
        • Contact:
      • Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23223
        • Recruiting
        • VCU Health at Stony Point
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Able to speak and read in English
  • Actively receiving Trastuzumab or an anthracycline-based treatment
  • Currently receiving immunotherapy. This includes pembrolizumab and atezolizumab.
  • Diagnosed with stages 0-III Breast Cancer

Exclusion Criteria:

- History of prior Breast Cancer diagnosis (i.e., not their first breast cancer diagnosis)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Virtual Reality Group
Individuals in this arm will receive access to the virtual reality in cardiovascular health education and gaming intervention
Behavioral: Cardiovascular Health Education and Gaming through Virtual Reality
Prior to engaging the intervention, participants will complete a baseline survey. The virtual reality intervention will be delivered at one infusion treatment. Participants will complete all education modules and affiliated games. The education focuses on potentially cardiotoxic treatments (e.g., anthracyclines), ways to identify cancer treatment related cardiovascular dysfunction, and heart healthy behaviors that survivors can initiate during survivorship. Following the intervention participants will complete a survey similar to the baseline survey. One-month following the intervention participants will complete one final survey.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
CTRCD Knowledge
Time Frame: Baseline, within 2 days post-Intervention, and 4 weeks post-intervention
Change in knowledge of CTRCD and in measures of improving cardiovascular health. This investigator-developed true/false knowledge survey consists of 10 items that directly assess knowledge learned in SurviVRSE. Scoring this scale will consist of summing up the total items that were answered correctly (range = 0-10; 0 = no knowledge and 10=high knowledge).
Baseline, within 2 days post-Intervention, and 4 weeks post-intervention
Usability
Time Frame: Within 2 days post-Intervention
Usability will be assessed using the Virtual Reality System Usability Questionnaire. This 10-item measure includes prompts such as "I think I would like to use this system frequently" and "I thought the system was easy to use." Women will respond to the items using a 5-point Likert scale (1= strongly disagree and 5= strongly agree). Scores will be totaled (with some items requiring reverse-coding).
Within 2 days post-Intervention
Acceptability
Time Frame: Within 2 days post-Intervention
Acceptability will be assessed using the User Experience Questionnaire, a validated 8-item 7-point Likert scale survey that measures pragmatic and hedonic qualities of SurviVRSE (e.g., obstructive/supportive, complicated/easy). The UEC developers provide an Excel spreadsheet to analyze data collected from the tool. https://www.ueq-online.org/. The range of the scales is between -3 (horribly bad) to +3 (extremely good).
Within 2 days post-Intervention
User Satisfaction
Time Frame: Within 2 days post-Intervention
SurviVRSE satisfaction and engagement will be assessed using an adapted 6-item 5-point Likert scale survey (1=strongly disagree and 5=strongly agree). Items include "I could engage SurviVRSE," I would recommend SurviVRSE to another survivor," and "I liked the music." To evaluate satisfaction, the six items will be totaled. Scores will range from 6-30 with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction.
Within 2 days post-Intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Physical Activity
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks post-intervention
Physical activity will be assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The 7-item scale assesses sedentary behavior, and moderate and vigorous physical activity by asking respondents if they participate in various forms of physical activity and, if so, how many hours and minutes/day. Scores will be reported as Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) minutes a week. Higher MET minutes equate to greater energy expenditure. High >= 1500 MET minutes a week; Moderate >=600 MET minutes a week; Low: not meeting criteria for moderate or high.
Baseline and 4 weeks post-intervention
Sleep Quality
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks post-intervention
The Insomnia Severity Index will be used to assess sleep quality. This 7-item scale prompts respondents to consider the past 2 weeks when responding to items about falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up to early in addition to the perceived impact their sleep has on their daily lives. The scale consists of likert scales such as none to very (0=none and 4=very); very satisfied to very dissatisfied (0=very satisfied and 4=very dissatisfied); and not at all to very much (0=not at all and 4=very much). The total score of the 7 items determines insomnia severity (0-7 = no clinically significant insomnia to 22-28 = clinical insomnia).
Baseline and 4 weeks post-intervention
Tobacco Use
Time Frame: Baseline and 4 weeks post-intervention
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Questionnaire for Tobacco use will be used to assess cigarette, snuff and other forms of tobacco (4 items). Responses include yes/no for some items (e.g., Have you smoked at least 100 cigarettes in your entire life) or Likert (1=every day to 3 not at all) for other items (e.g., Do you now smoke cigarettes every day, some days, or not at all). Each item is assessed individually.
Baseline and 4 weeks post-intervention
Intent to Change Behavior
Time Frame: Baseline, within 2 days post-Intervention, and 4 weeks post-intervention
This 3-item scale, developed by the investigative team, assesses an individual's intent to change the following behaviors - physical activity, sleep, and tobacco use. Participants will respond to each item using a 5-point Likert scale (1= strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). Higher scores will indicate greater intent to change the behavior, and each item will be scored individually.
Baseline, within 2 days post-Intervention, and 4 weeks post-intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Virginia Commonwealth University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Arnethea Sutton, Ph.D, Virginia Commonwealth University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 20, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 28, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 16, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 23, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 2, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 1, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • MCC-25-22806
  • HM300000618 (Other Identifier: Virginia Commonwealth University)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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