Cancer patients at AHN’s (Allegheny Health Network) Cancer Institute relax on a beach, can swim with dolphins, or navigate the countryside via virtual reality.

AHN has recently stated that Harvard MedTech, a Las Vegas-based medical device company, has distributed 29 VR headsets. The VR glasses give cancer patients an escape through sight and sound for around five to ten minutes while getting radiation or chemotherapy treatment.

“They are like a pair of binoculars, really. They have an elastic band on the back, like a large pair of glasses. It limits your peripheral vision. When you lift your head up, you can see the top of the ocean, and when you look down, you look at the floor of the ocean.” – Crystal Ross, AHN Cancer Institute Service Line director.

Andrea Sampson, a spokeswoman for Harvard MedTech, mentioned that there is no exact cost for the headsets as it is part of a more extensive program that changes based on the patients’ requirements. VR therapy has emerged as a method for pain management within the healthcare system. It has been shown to help adults and children with pain and enhance cognitive-behavioral and physical therapy for chronic pain.

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