Kevin T Liou1, Kathleen A Lynch2, Ogechi Nwodim3, Karen Popkin4, Jane S Greene4, Thomas M Atkinson2, Joke Bradt5, Jun J Mao4. 1. Integrative Medicine Service, Department of Medicine (K.T.L., K.P., J.S.G., J.J.M.), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA. Electronic address: liouk@mskcc.org. 2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (K.A.L., T.M.A.), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA. 3. The Ohio State University College of Medicine (O.N.), Columbus, Ohio, USA. 4. Integrative Medicine Service, Department of Medicine (K.T.L., K.P., J.S.G., J.J.M.), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA. 5. Department of Creative Arts Therapies (J.B.), College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Abstract
CONTEXT: Depressive symptoms are prevalent and associated with greater healthcare utilization among hospitalized adults with cancer. Music therapy and massage therapy are available at many National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Centers and recommended by the American Society of Clinical Oncology for depressive symptoms, but a paucity of studies have compared these two therapies. OBJECTIVES: We conducted a retrospective, multi-method program evaluation of single, first-time music therapy and massage therapy sessions delivered to hospitalized adults with cancer. METHODS: The study was conducted at an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center between February 2018 and October 2019. We assessed depressive symptoms with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) depression item. We also invited patients to provide free-text comments describing their treatment experience. RESULTS: Among 1764 patients (61.2% women, 72.7% white), 350 received music therapy and 1414 received massage therapy; music therapy was associated with a 0.4 point greater reduction (95% 0.3 to 0.6, P < 0.001) in the ESAS depression score relative to massage therapy. When analyses were restricted to the 452 (25.6%) patients with moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms (ESAS score ≥ 4), music therapy was associated with a 1.2 point greater reduction (95% CI 0.7 to 1.7, P < 0.001) relative to massage therapy, a clinically meaningful difference. In free-text comments, music therapy was described as energizing, uplifting, and evocative, whereas massage therapy was described as calming and relaxing. CONCLUSION: Among hospitalized adult cancer patients, both music therapy and massage therapy were associated with reduced depressive symptoms, but music therapy was associated with a greater reduction than massage therapy.
CONTEXT: Depressive symptoms are prevalent and associated with greater healthcare utilization among hospitalized adults with cancer. Music therapy and massage therapy are available at many National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Centers and recommended by the American Society of Clinical Oncology for depressive symptoms, but a paucity of studies have compared these two therapies. OBJECTIVES: We conducted a retrospective, multi-method program evaluation of single, first-time music therapy and massage therapy sessions delivered to hospitalized adults with cancer. METHODS: The study was conducted at an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center between February 2018 and October 2019. We assessed depressive symptoms with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) depression item. We also invited patients to provide free-text comments describing their treatment experience. RESULTS: Among 1764 patients (61.2% women, 72.7% white), 350 received music therapy and 1414 received massage therapy; music therapy was associated with a 0.4 point greater reduction (95% 0.3 to 0.6, P < 0.001) in the ESAS depression score relative to massage therapy. When analyses were restricted to the 452 (25.6%) patients with moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms (ESAS score ≥ 4), music therapy was associated with a 1.2 point greater reduction (95% CI 0.7 to 1.7, P < 0.001) relative to massage therapy, a clinically meaningful difference. In free-text comments, music therapy was described as energizing, uplifting, and evocative, whereas massage therapy was described as calming and relaxing. CONCLUSION: Among hospitalized adult cancer patients, both music therapy and massage therapy were associated with reduced depressive symptoms, but music therapy was associated with a greater reduction than massage therapy.
Authors: Gary H Lyman; Heather Greenlee; Kari Bohlke; Ting Bao; Angela M DeMichele; Gary E Deng; Judith M Fouladbakhsh; Brigitte Gil; Dawn L Hershman; Sami Mansfield; Dawn M Mussallem; Karen M Mustian; Erin Price; Susan Rafte; Lorenzo Cohen Journal: J Clin Oncol Date: 2018-06-11 Impact factor: 44.544
Authors: Thomas M Atkinson; Kevin T Liou; Michael A Borten; Qing S Li; Karen Popkin; Andrew Webb; Janice DeRito; Kathleen A Lynch; Jun J Mao Journal: JCO Oncol Pract Date: 2020-07-08