Evidence Shows How Music Therapy Can Affect Patients With Cancer

Music was shown to have beneficial effects on anxiety, pain, fatigue, and quality of life, with small effects on heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure, in a systematic review of 52 clinical trials involving 3,731 patients with cancer. [...]data from a retrospective analysis suggested the value of music therapy for reducing breathing problems in patients with cancer who were receiving hospice care. Pediatric patients can also benefit from music therapy, with studies reporting that active music engagement increased comfort in hospitalized children, reduced pain and anxiety in children undergoing lumbar puncture, and improved coping skills in children undergoing cancer treatments. Any therapeutic intervention that can make patients’ lives better, without significant potential side effects or burden, is highly valuable to us.