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Physical and nonphysical effects of weekly music therapy intervention on the condition of radiooncology patients

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Abstract

Purpose

In oncology settings, music, especially music therapy (MT), is frequently used to improve patients’ quality of life, pain situation, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and comfort. However, to date, there are no prospectively collected data correlating regular standardized MT sessions during radiotherapy (RT) to physical parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation and corresponding quality of life measures using quantitative descriptive scales in oncological patients. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of MT on the condition of radiooncology patients using these parameters.

Materials and methods

During this study, patients participated weekly MT sessions guided by a board-certified music therapist. Data such as pain, physical comfort, and respiratory comfort based on the visual analogue scale (VAS) were collected before and after MT sessions. Furthermore, vital signs including heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation as well as RT side effects were recorded.

Results

A total of 57 patients (age 61 ± 11 years) were enrolled in the study. Median VAS score was significantly different before and after MT for pain: VAS 1 (interquartile range [IQR]: 0–3) vs. VAS 0 (IQR: 0–2; p < 0.001); physical comfort: VAS 7 (IQR: 6–7) vs. VAS 8 (IQR: 7–9; p < 0.001); and respiratory comfort only in the patients with pre-existing symptoms (VAS < 10 before therapy): VAS 8 (IQR: 6–8) vs. VAS 9 (IQR: 8–10; p = 0.002). Furthermore, vital signs were significantly reduced from pre-session to post-session (p > 0.001): heart rate 81 ± 14 min−1 to 76 ± 13 min−1 and respiratory rate from 12 ± 5 min−1 to 10 ± 4 min−1. RT-related side effects did not interfere with participation in MT sessions.

Conclusion

In our study cohort of radiooncology patients, weekly MT sessions improved defined physical parameters as well as pain, physical comfort, and respiratory comfort. Establishing MT in the routine clinical setting should be more readily considered to further improve patient outcomes.

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Abbreviations

BC-MT:

Board-certified music therapist

CTCAE:

Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events

ECOG PS:

Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status

IQR:

Interquartile range

MT:

Music therapy

RT:

Radiotherapy

RTOG:

Radiation Therapy Oncology Group

SD:

Standard deviation

UICC:

Union for International Cancer Control

VAS:

Visual analogue scale

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Funding

The authors did not receive support from any organization for the submitted work. Partial financial support was received from Sodexo™ (Issy-les-Moulineaux, France), the fee for the board-certified music therapist (BC-MT) was financed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radio-Oncology, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Carinagasse 47, 6800, Feldkirch, Austria

    Patrick Clemens, Joyce Gurk & Alexander de Vries

  2. Institute of Medical Physics, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Carinagasse 47, 6800, Feldkirch, Austria

    Philipp Szeverinski & Matthias Kowatsch

  3. Department of General and Thoracic Surgery, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Carinagasse 47, 6800, Feldkirch, Austria

    Peter Tschann

  4. Department of Plastic surgery, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Carinagasse 47, 6800, Feldkirch, Austria

    Marion Dietl

  5. Institute Therapeutic Sciences & Josef Ressel Center—Horizons of personalized music therapy, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Am Campus Krems, Alauntalstr. 96, 3500, Krems an der Donau, Austria

    Gerhard Tucek

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  1. Patrick Clemens
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Correspondence to Patrick Clemens.

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Conflict of interest

P. Clemens, P. Szeverinski, P. Tschann, M. Dietl, J. Gurk, M. Kowatsch, G. Tucek, and A. de Vries declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical standards

This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study was approved by the local ethics committee of Vorarlberg (EK-Nr. 2014-7/2, 17.11.2014). Consent to participate: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Clemens, P., Szeverinski, P., Tschann, P. et al. Physical and nonphysical effects of weekly music therapy intervention on the condition of radiooncology patients. Strahlenther Onkol 199, 268–277 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00066-022-02033-x

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