Music Therapy as a Form of Nonpharmacologic Pain Modulation in Patients with Cancer: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Cancer is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide each year. Treatments include pharmacologic and surgical interventions that can pose great risks to the physical and mental health of patients. The objective of this systematic review is to consolidate the literature surrounding the use of music therapy as a low-risk and effective pain management adjunct to traditional cancer therapy. This analysis reveals that the use of music therapy thus far has provided a nearly unanimous positive effect on cancer patients, with the potential to provide both physical and psychosocial benefits. The apparent adverse effects appear to be negligible, and music therapy should be considered when creating a cancer care plan. ABSTRACT: Aims and Objectives: To consolidate and summarize the current literature surrounding the use of music therapy as an effective noninvasive adjunct to conventional cancer therapy, especially as a low-risk alternative for pain management and anesthetic use in cancer patients. Background: Current studies have proposed that music therapy may be effective as a noninvasive adjunct to conventional cancer therapy in managing numerous outcomes in cancer patients. However, the findings of these investigations have not been consolidated and analyzed on a large scale. Therefore, focusing a systematic review on the effects of music therapy as an adjunct to conventional cancer therapy would give a better understanding of which intervention approaches are associated with better clinical outcomes for cancer patients. Design: A systematic review. Methods: A review of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of music therapy in physical, cognitive, and psychosocial outcomes for cancer patients alone or in conjunction with standard therapy was implemented. We conducted searches using the PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases for all articles meeting the search criteria up until the time of article extraction in May, 2022. Only studies published in English were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data on participant and intervention characteristics. The main outcome variables included pain, anxiety, quality of life, mood, sleep disorders, fatigue, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation. Results: Of the 202 initially identified articles, 25 randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria for evaluation. Of the 25 studies, 23 (92.0%) reported statistically and clinically significant improvements across the outcome variables. Two of the studies (8.00%) found no significant positive effect from music therapy in any of the aforementioned outcomes variables. Conclusion: Music therapy, both as a standalone treatment and when used in conjunction with other pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities, has a generally beneficial effect across several physiologic and psychosocial aspects of cancer.