How does music therapy help people with cancer?

Music therapy can help people with cancer by:

• Reducing anxiety and stress related to the diagnosis and procedures.
• Improving mood and helping with relaxation.
• Helping them develop coping skills and the ability to be resilient in the face of challenges.

Is there evidence that music therapy works?

In the last 20 years, as patients increasingly integrate complementary and alternative medicine into their treatment plans, more and more literature is being published exploring and confirming the positive impact music therapy has on certain conditions. A sample includes:

• A systematic review of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who received music therapy as an adjunct treatment found that music therapy significantly improved skills related to social interaction, verbal communication, behavior initiation and reciprocating socially expressed emotional cues. ¹
• A systematic review of dementia patients who received music therapy found that the music therapy had a moderately large impact on reducing disruptive behaviors, anxiety levels and depressive moods, and improving cognitive functioning. ²
• A randomized control trial of people suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder found that those who engaged in music therapy in addition to usual care experienced a reduction in their obsessions/obsessive behaviors as well as co-morbid anxiety and/or depression. ³
• Palliative care patients who received music therapy experienced a significant reduction in pain. ⁴

Is there evidence that music therapy helps with cancer?

Yes. It has been shown to help in the following ways: ^5-8

• Helping treatment-related symptoms such as pain, nausea, and fatigue.
• Reducing anxiety and stress from procedures.
• Improving mood and emotional well-being.
• Helping manage symptoms without medication.
• Giving people with cancer a way to express and communicate feelings.
• Improving patients’ experiences in treatment and life in general.
• In general, cancer patients who participated in music therapy were better able to manage their symptoms, expressed more hope about their ability to survive cancer, and were better able to access and discuss traumatic memories associated with their diagnosis. ⁹ As noted above, music therapy has also been shown to decrease anxiety and depression in cancer patients. ¹⁰

If you or your healthcare provider are seeking more in-depth research on the effectiveness or impact of music therapy on a particular health concern, have your healthcare provider visit www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=music+therapy

The Beyond the Studio podcast from the Canadian Association of Music Therapists offers fascinating perspectives on all aspects of music therapy for providers, patients, and caregivers who would like to learn more about this unique type of treatment and how it can help many different conditions.

Are there precautions, side effects or safety concerns I should know about before I start music therapy?

Music therapy is widely considered a safe way of addressing physical and mental conditions when delivered by a well-trained certified music therapist. However, any form of therapy can cause some emotional discomfort. Talk to the music therapist if you have concerns about this.

How often should I seek treatment from a music therapy practitioner? How long is each session?

How often and for how long you will attend a music therapy session depends on why you are doing it and your personal music therapy program. Classes or individual sessions are often 30 minutes to an hour.

What training or certifications do music therapists need?

In the United States, MT-BC (Music Therapist-Board Certified) is the most common certification.

To practice music therapy, a therapist needs a bachelor’s degree or higher from one of the 70 programs recognized by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA).

In addition to specific courses required by AMTA, music therapists must complete 1,200 hours of clinical practice before taking the certification exam. The Certification Board for Music Therapists supervises the exam and certification process.

Three older music therapy designations are no longer awarded, but still nationally recognized. These are the ACMT, CMT and RMT. Therapists who received them in the past and continue to maintain their certification are included in the National Music Therapy Registry.

How do I find a music therapist?

• The American Music Therapy Association allows you to search by therapists, certification and the condition you would
  like to treat.
• The Certification Board for Music Therapists Search

Will my insurance company cover the cost of seeing a music therapy practitioner?

Whether your insurance company covers music therapy depends on your individual coverage. Most insurance companies will cover some of the cost. Contact them to learn what they will pay for.

Should I tell my primary care provider that I am seeing a music therapist?

Yes! Talk to your doctor or other health care provider before starting. Music therapy can go along with other treatments, but it is not meant to replace proven medical treatment. Any decisions regarding treatment plans should be discussed with your doctor(s) before you make changes.

Endnotes:

1. Geretsegger M, Fusar-Poli L, Elefant C, Mössler KA, Vitale G, Gold C. Music therapy for autistic people. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;5(5):CD004381. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004381.pub4.
2. Zhang Y, Cai J, An L, Hui F, Ren T, Ma H, Zhao Q. Does music therapy enhance behavioral and cognitive function in elderly dementia patients? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ageing Res Rev. 2017;35:1-11. doi: 10.1016/j. arr.2016.12.003.
3. Shirani Bidabadi S, Mehryar, A. (2015). Music therapy as an adjunct to standard treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder and co-morbid anxiety and depression: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Affective Disorders 2015;184:13- 17. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.04.011
4. van Veen S, Drenth H, Hobbelen H, et al. Non-pharmacological interventions feasible in the nursing scope of practice for pain relief in palliative care patients: a systematic review. Palliat Care Soc Pract. 2024;18:26323524231222496. doi: 10.1177/26323524231222496.
5. Stanczyk MM. Music therapy in supportive cancer care. Rep Pract Oncol Radiother 2011;16(5):170-2. doi: 10.1016/j.rpor.2011.04.005.
6. Köhler F, Martin ZS, Hertrampf RS, et al. Music therapy in the psychosocial treatment of adult cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Psychol 2020;11:651. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00651. Erratum in: Front Psychol. 2020 Sep 18;11:2095. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02095.
7. Popkin K. The role of music therapy in cancer care. September 25, 2016. Available at https://ascopost.com/issues/september-25-2016/the-role-ofmusic-therapy-in-cancer-care/. Accessed June 21, 2024.
8. Li Y, Xing X, Shi X, et al. The effectiveness of music therapy for patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Adv Nurs 2020;76(5):1111-1123. doi: 10.1111/jan.14313.
9. Bradt J, Potvin N, Kesslick A, et al. The impact of music therapy versus music medicine on psychological outcomes and pain in cancer patients: a mixed methods study. Supportive Care in Cancer, 2015;23(5):1261-1271. doi: 10.1007/s00520-014-2478-7
10. Jasemi M, Aazami S, Zabihi RE. The effects of music therapy on anxiety and depression of cancer patients. Indian Journal of Palliative Care 2016;22(4):455–458. doi: 10.4103/0973-1075.191823.