INTRODUCTION
anxiety, cancer, urinary, gastrointestinal, lymphedema, pain, Cervical cancer, malignant tumor, depression, deaths
CANCER, DISEASE, CERVICAL CANCER, CERVICAL CANCER, MALIGNANT TUMOR
Cervical cancer (CC) is a socially and scientifically distinguishable malignant tumor that poses a global health challenge as the fourth leading cause of cancer in women. Controlling CC is tragically associated with weaknesses at different levels of healthcare. Actions such as vaccination against human papillomavirus, screening, treatment of precursor lesions, and early diagnosis are global strategies to control the disease by 2030Globally, in 2020, 604,127 new cases and 341,831 deaths were estimated, with more than 90% occurring in developing countriesThese treatments affect sexual function and may reduce shortand long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Moreover, they can result in hormonal, immunological, bladder, urinary, gastrointestinal, lymphedema, pain, anxiety (with variable prevalence ranging from 20 to 65%), depression, low self-esteem, fear, body image disturbances, social isolation, and marital tension, which are among the most frequent issues experienced by these womenAnxiety and other psychological distress are prevalent in modern societies and women affected by CC are at higher risk of mortalityAmong the available integrative practices, guided imagery relaxation therapy is a low-cost, safe, and easily applicable intervention. For this study, relaxation and guided imagery therapies were used, applied with virtual reality. Physiologically, relaxation acts on the excitatory reduction of the sympathetic nervous system and stress levels, consequently presenting a positive influence on psychoneuroimmunologyRelaxation with guided imagery (RGI) involves systematically tensing and relaxing different muscle groups through controlled breathing, while visualizing nature images that trigger anxiolytic effects. However, accessing such images may not always be feasible in different social contextsGiven the above, the study is justified for oncology nursing practice in the proposition of effective and feasible interventions in the care of patients with cervical cancer. Furthermore, the incipiency of research for this vulnerable population, who suffer from anxious symptoms resulting from the disease or treatment, is clarified in research that underlies the proposition of RGI in this study