Music Reduces Anxiety Score in Breast Cancer Surgery Patients

Reduction in anxiety scores preoperatively with live or recorded music versus usual care

TUESDAY, Aug. 25, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Live and recorded perioperative music therapy reduces anxiety in patients undergoing surgery for potential or known breast cancer, according to a study published online Aug. 17 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Jaclyn Bradley Palmer, from the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and colleagues examined the effect of live and recorded perioperative music in 207 female patients undergoing surgery for potential or known breast cancer. Participants were randomized to receive patient-selected live music (LM) preoperatively with therapist-selected recorded music intraoperatively (69 patients); patient-selected recorded music (RM) preoperatively with therapist-selected recorded music intraoperatively (70 patients); or usual care (UC) preoperatively and noise blocking earmuffs intraoperatively (68 patients).

The researchers found that the amount of propofol required to reach moderate sedation did not differ significantly for the LM and RM groups versus the UC group. The LM and RM groups had greater reductions in anxiety scores preoperatively compared with the UC group (−30.9 and −26.8, respectively, versus 0.0; P < 0.001). There was no difference in recovery time for the LM and RM groups versus UC; the LM group had shorter recovery time than the RM group (12.4 minutes difference, P = 0.018). There was no difference in satisfaction scores for the LM and RM groups versus UC.

"Including music therapy as a complementary modality with cancer surgery may help manage preoperative anxiety in a way that is safe, effective, time-efficient, and enjoyable," the authors write.

Abstract
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