Effects of music-based interventions on cancer-related pain, fatigue, and distress: an overview of systematic reviews

Abstract

Purpose To summarize the available evidence from systematic reviews with meta-analysis on the effects of music-based interventions in adults diagnosed with cancer. Methods An overview of systematic reviews was conducted. CINHAL, Embase, PEDro, PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched from inception until November 2022. Systematic reviews with meta-analysis in individuals with cancer (any type), any comparator, and outcomes of cancer-related pain, fatigue, and psychosocial symptoms were eligible. The methodological quality of systematic reviews and the amount of spin of information in the abstract were assessed. The Graphical Representation of Overlap for OVErviews tool (GROOVE) was used to explore the overlap of primary studies among systematic reviews. Results Thirteen systematic reviews, with over 9000 participants, containing 119 randomized trials and 34 meta-analyses of interest, were included. Music-based interventions involved passive music listening or patients’ active engagement. Most systematic reviews lacked a comprehensive search strategy, did not assess the certainty in the evidence and discussed their findings without considering the risk of bias of primary studies. The degree of overlap was moderate (5.81%). Overall, combining music-based interventions and standard care seems to be more effective than standard care to reduce cancer-related pain, fatigue, and distress. Mixed findings were found for other psychosocial measures. Conclusion Music-based interventions could be an interesting approach to modulate cancer-related pain, fatigue, and distress in adults with cancer. The variability among interventions, together with important methodological biases, detract from the clinical relevance of these findings.

Risk factors associated with suicidal ideation among cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Social factors encompass social support ( Tang et al, 2016 ), social functioning ( Jung and Yun, 2022 ) and so on. Based on previous research into risk factors for suicidal ideation, researchers have proposed various psychological interventions, including mindfulness meditation ( Boyle et al, 2017 ) and music intervention ( Trigueros-Murillo et al, 2023 ). However, the impact of some risk factors on suicidal ideation has been reported differently in studies making it challenging to further investigate interventions for cancer patients experiencing such thoughts.…”