The Effect of Art Therapy and Music Therapy on Breast Cancer Patients: What We Know and What We Need to Find Out—A Systematic Review

Justina Kievisiene,Alona Rauckiene-Michaelsson,Cesar Agostinis-Sobrinho,Rasa Jautakyte,Natalja Fatkulina

doi:10.1155/2020/7390321

Justina Kievisiene, Alona Rauckiene-Michaelsson + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/7390321

Copy DOI

Abstract

Objective. To systematically review the evidence available on the effects of art therapy and music therapy interventions in patients with breast cancer.Design. Systematic search was conducted in PubMed, EBSCO, and Cochrane Central databases. Articles were scanned using the following keywords: “art therapy” or “music therapy” and “breast cancer” or “breast neoplasms,” “breast carcinoma,” “breast tumor,” and “mammary cancer.” Only RCTs published in English, with a control group and experimental group, and presenting pre-/post-therapy results were included. PRISMA guidelines for this systematic review were followed.Results. Twenty randomized controlled trials matched the eligibility criteria. Nine studies evaluated the effect of art therapy, and eleven evaluated the effect of music therapy. Improvements were measured in stress, anxiety, depression reduction, pain, fatigue, or other cancer-related somatic symptoms’ management. Overall, the results show that art therapy was oriented towards the effects on quality of life and emotional symptoms while music therapy is the most often applied for anxiety reduction purposes during or before surgeries or chemotherapy sessions.Conclusion. Art and music therapies show effective opportunities for breast cancer patients to reduce negative emotional state and improve the quality of life and seem to be promising nonmedicated treatment options in breast oncology. However, more detailed and highly descriptive single therapy and primary mental health outcome measuring RCTs are necessary to draw an evidence-based advise for the use of art and music therapies.

Highlights

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, globally accounting for 1 in 6 deaths in 2018 [1] and is likely to become a major obstacle to increasing life expectancy in this century [2]
The results show that art therapy was oriented towards the effects on quality of life and emotional symptoms while music therapy is the most often applied for anxiety reduction purposes during or before surgeries or chemotherapy sessions
Contemporary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) includes diverse treatments provided in oncology settings, such as art therapy, music therapy, meditation, hypnosis, yoga, and imagery [22], but in this systematic review we focus on two forms: art and music therapies

Summary

Introduction

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, globally accounting for 1 in 6 deaths in 2018 [1] and is likely to become a major obstacle to increasing life expectancy in this century [2]. Breast cancer is the second most often diagnosed cancer type overall and the first in women [3]. Medical advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment continually increase survival rates [4], breast cancer diagnosis is associated with long-term psychological and physical adverse conditions [5]. Women with breast cancer report decreased quality of life [12], encounter cancer-related fatigue [13], and face difficulties in coping with disease and treatment [14]. Together these studies highlight the inseparable burden of cancer diagnosis on the psychological state and the necessity to address oncopatient mental condition

Methods

Results

Conclusion