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Recruiting NCT07228377

NCT07228377 Digital Intervention for Symptom Management in Cancer and Opioid Sparing Using Virtual Reality (DISCOVR) Study

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Clinical Trial Summary
NCT ID NCT07228377
Status Recruiting
Phase
Sponsor Medstar Health Research Institute
Condition Cancer
Study Type INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment 25 participants
Start Date 2025-12-01
Primary Completion 2026-08-31

Eligibility & Interventions

Sex All sexes
Min Age 18 Years
Max Age N/A
Study Type INTERVENTIONAL
Interventions
virtual reality pain therapy

Eligibility Fast-Check

Enter your details for a quick preliminary check. This does not replace medical advice.

What to Expect as a Participant

You will actively receive the study intervention — which may be a drug, biologic, device, or procedure.

This trial targets 25 participants in total. It began in 2025-12-01 with a primary completion date of 2026-08-31.

⚠ This information is for research awareness only. Always consult your physician before joining any clinical trial. Participation is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time.

Brief Summary

Patients living with cancer commonly have chronic pain due to the disease or to cancer treatments. Virtual reality, a new technology that immerses the user in pleasant, diverting, and exciting virtual environments, may lower chronic cancer pain to improve quality of life and complement need for pain medications like opioids. The investigators aim to learn from patients about the experience of cancer pain, develop a virtual reality prototype specific to cancer pain management, and test the feasibility and acceptability of this technology to improve the cancer pain experience.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * age ≥18 years old * living with active cancer diagnosis (any solid tumor type) * report chronic cancer pain (≥3 months) with baseline severity moderate-severe (i.e., self-report pain score (SRPS) ≥4/10, where 0=no pain, 10=worst pain) * prescribed chronic opioid therapies (may be long-acting formulations, short-acting formulations, or both) Exclusion Criteria: * history of intractable nausea/vomiting, motion sickness, seizures/epilepsy, and/or cranial structure abnormalities preventing VR headset use * moderate-severe pain of non-cancer etiology (e.g., chronic lumbago) * enrolled in another pain study * unable to complete surveys in English or Spanish.

Contact & Investigator

Central Contact

Hunter Groninger, MD

✉ hunter.groninger@medstar.net

📞 202-877-7445

Principal Investigator

Hunter Groninger, MD

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Medstar Health Research Institute

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can join the NCT07228377 clinical trial?

This trial is open to participants of all sexes, aged 18 Years or older, studying Cancer. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria are listed in the Eligibility Criteria section. Always confirm your eligibility with the research team before applying.

Is NCT07228377 currently recruiting?

Yes, NCT07228377 is actively recruiting participants. Contact the research team at hunter.groninger@medstar.net for enrollment information.

Where is the NCT07228377 trial being conducted?

This trial is being conducted at Washington D.C., United States.

Who is sponsoring the NCT07228377 clinical trial?

NCT07228377 is sponsored by Medstar Health Research Institute. The principal investigator is Hunter Groninger, MD at Medstar Health Research Institute. The trial plans to enroll 25 participants.

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ClinicalMetric — Independent clinical trial intelligence platform. Not affiliated with NIH, ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. FDA, or any pharmaceutical company, hospital, or clinical research organization. Trial data is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Do not make any treatment, enrollment, or health decisions based solely on information found here — always consult a qualified healthcare professional. Full Disclaimer  ·  Last Reviewed: September 2026  ·  Data Methodology