Reduced anxiety in cancer patients with music

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Listening to music or sessions with trained music therapists eligible for cancer patients. Music can reduce anxiety, and may also have positive effects on mood, pain and quality of life, a new Cochrane systematic review shows.

Music and music therapy are used in a variety of clinical settings. In the study researchers concentrated on experiments with patients who had some form of cancer and music or music therapy sessions were offered. To improve psychological and physical wellbeing, vary the treatments of patients pre-recorded music, listen to music therapists engaging them in music experiences.

Proof of 1,891 patients who participate in the 30 trials was investigated, in which 13 tests trained music therapists, whereas the other 17 trials, patients listened to pre-recorded music. Under tests the length of time and how often patients participated in music sessions ranged greatly. Results indicate that in comparison with standard treatments, anxiety was reduced considerably with music on the basis of clinical anxiety scores. Some experiments reported more positive effects than others, results also suggested that music therapy may also increase the quality of life of patients. Although not for depression, there was some advantage in music for mood and pain. Heart rate, breathing and blood pressure saw smaller beneficial effects.

Joke Bradt principal investigator of the Department of creative arts therapies Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.., explained

"The evidence suggests that music interventions are useful as a complementary treatment for people with cancer.

Music interventions provided by trained music therapists, as well as listening to pre-recorded music both have shown positive results in this review, but at this moment there is not enough evidence to determine whether an intervention is more effective than the other. "

Bradt remains

"It should be noted, however, that when the patients cannot be blinded to intervention, there is a chance for bias is when they are asked to report on subjective measures as fear, pain, mood and quality of life."

The quality of evidence for some of the results was low due to small numbers of tests that are running, highlight researchers. Additional tests may help increase security in the discoveries and promoting the understanding of the music effect on emergency, body image, and other aspects, for which research is currently too rare to draw conclusions.

Written by Grace Rattue
Copyright: Medical News today
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Article reference:
"Music intervention for improving psychological and physical results in cancer patients."
Bradt J, Dileo C, Grocke D., Magill L.
Cochrane database of systematic Reviews 2011, point 8. Art. No.: CD006911. DOI: 10.1002/pub2 14651858. CD006911.