Re-Mission 2 Helps Kids Take the Fight to Cancer

With the help of a series of free casual games, cancer patients are not only helping HopeLab and Stanford University researchers study the effects of gaming on cancer treatment, but they're also gaining a better understanding of how medicine is aiding in their recovery.

Under the banner of Re-Mission 2, a handful of free games are being made available to cancer patients with two purposes. First, the staffs at HopeLab and Stanford believe reward-related activation will help increase the number of patients who stick with chemotherapy. Second, the games are designed to boost "positive emotion," which will aid in the healing process, and understanding of what is happening when undergoing treatment.

“Research on the original Re-Mission showed that it impacted biology and behavior primarily by energizing positive motivation circuits in the human brain and giving players a sense of power and control over cancer,” said Steve Cole, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Development at HopeLab and Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The events of each game are tailored to provide representations of what is actually going on with a specific treatment. According to the study, many young adults are at risk due to their inability to keep up with cancer treatments. Research has thus far shown Re-Mission 2 is a great tool, as it increases "players’ self-efficacy, boosting positive emotions and shifting attitudes about chemotherapy."

You can learn more about Re-Mission 2 in the video below, or by visiting re-mission2.org to see the games for yourself.