Author: Bro ML1,2, Johansen C3,4, Vuust P5, Enggaard L6, Himmelstrup B7, Mourits-Andersen T8, Brown P9, d'Amore F10, Andersen EAW11, Abildgaard N12,13,14, Gram J15
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>The Danish National Academy of Music, Odense, Denmark. mbro10@smksnet.dk.
<sup>2</sup>Institute of Regional Health Science, University of Southern Denmark, J. B. Winsløws Vej 19, 5000, Odense, Denmark. mbro10@smksnet.dk.
<sup>3</sup>Unit of Survivorship, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark.
<sup>4</sup>Oncology Clinic, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
<sup>5</sup>Center for Music in the Brain, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University and The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark.
<sup>6</sup>Department of Haematology, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark.
<sup>7</sup>Department of Haematology, Roskilde Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark.
<sup>8</sup>Department of Haematology, Hospital of Southwest Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark.
<sup>9</sup>Department of Haematology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
<sup>10</sup>Department of Haematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
<sup>11</sup>Unit of Statistics and Pharmacoepidemiology, Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark.
<sup>12</sup>Department of Haematology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
<sup>13</sup>Quality of Life Research OUH, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
<sup>14</sup>Academy of Geriatric Cancer Research, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
<sup>15</sup>Department of Endocrinology, Hospital of Southwest Jutland, Esbjerg, Jutland, Denmark.
Conference/Journal: Support Care Cancer.
Date published: 2019 Feb 14
Other:
Special Notes: doi: 10.1007/s00520-019-04666-8. [Epub ahead of print] , Word Count: 257
PURPOSE: Chemotherapy is associated with both somatic and psychological side effects. Music might ease these problems. Several randomized controlled trials have investigated the effect of music, but the results are inconclusive. We aimed to examine whether live or pre-recorded music listening decreases anxiety during chemotherapy in newly diagnosed lymphoma patients.
METHODS: A total of 143 patients with non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphomas were randomly assigned into three groups receiving either 30 min of patient-preferred live music (n = 47), 30 min of patient-preferred pre-recorded music (n = 47), or standard care (n = 49) during up to five outpatient chemotherapy sessions. The primary endpoint was anxiety measured by the Spielberger's State Anxiety Inventory. Secondary endpoints included blood pressure, pulse rate, nausea and vomiting, serum catecholamine levels pre- and post-intervention to measure arousal levels, and health-related quality of life. The Musical Ability Test was used to link musical ability to the primary endpoint.
RESULTS: When adjusting for age, sex, diagnosis, number of sessions, and baseline anxiety, the linear mixed model showed a borderline statistically significant reduction in the primary outcome anxiety in the live music group compared to standard care (7% (95% CI, - 14% to 0%, p = 0.05), while the effect of pre-recorded music was non-significant (5% (95% CI, - 12% to + 3%, p = 0.18). No intervention effects were seen in secondary outcomes.
CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that patient-preferred live music reduces anxiety among patients with malignant lymphomas undergoing chemotherapy. Musical ability among this group of cancer patients seems not to be a determining factor for effect of music intervention.
KEYWORDS: Anxiety; Cancer; Chemotherapy; Hodgkin lymphoma; Music intervention; Non-Hodgkin lymphoma; RCT
PMID: 30762141 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-019-04666-8