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Gaming News
New Video Game improves adherence to cancer medication routine
Matt "Maxel" - August 6th, 2008 1:10 PM
A recent game that has been designed for cancer patients has proven to help young adults and adolescents with their medication routine which many young adults and adolescents find hard to do.
According to Kato and her colleagues, death rates among teens and younger adults have not seen a big improvement in survival rates. It is anticipated that this age group finds it challenging to follow a treatment plan, and Kato wanted to investigate whether playing video games might impact this.
Kato and her researchers assigned 375 male and female cancer patients aged 13 to 29, who were being treated at U.S. Canada and Australian cancer treatment centers, to play two video games: a game called “Re-Mission” a game focused on cancer care, or “Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb,” a standard video game. The game Re-Mission was developed by HopeLab, a California non-profit company, in which the gamers control a small robot named Roxxi who moves around in a 3-D environment that is inside a young cancer patient. Players use Roxxi to control drug side effects, blast cancer cells, and win the game by taking chemotherapy drugs and antibiotics, eating nutritious food, using relaxation techniques and following other types of self-care.
