Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of music therapy on pain among female breast cancer patients after radical mastectomy: results from a randomized controlled trial

  • Clinical trial
  • Published:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Music therapy has been used in multiple health care settings to reduce patient pain, anxiety, and stress. However, few available studies have investigated its effect on pain among breast cancer patients after radical mastectomy. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of music therapy on pain reduction in patients with breast cancer after radical mastectomy. This randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Surgical Department of Oncology Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University from March to November 2009. A total of 120 breast cancer patients who received Personal Controlled Analgesia (PCA) following surgery (mastectomy) were randomly allocated to two groups, an intervention group and a control group (60 patients in each group). The intervention group accepted music therapy from the first day after radical mastectomy to the third admission to hospital for chemotherapy in addition to the routine nursing care, while the control group received only routine nursing care. Pain scores were measured at baseline and three post-tests using the General Questionnaire and Chinese version of Short-Form of McGill Pain Questionnaire. The primary endpoint was the change in the Pain Rating Index (PRI-total) score from baseline. Music therapy was found to reduce the PRI-total score in the intervention group significantly compared with the control group with a mean difference (95% CI) of −2.38 (−2.80, −1.95), −2.41 (−2.85, −1.96), and −1.87 (−2.33, −1.42) for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd post-tests, respectively. Similar results were found for Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Present Pain Intensity (PPI) scores. The findings of the study provide some evidence that music therapy has both short- and long-term positive effects on alleviating pain in breast cancer patients following radical mastectomy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Avci IA, Gozum S (2009) Comparison of two different educational methods on teachers’ knowledge, beliefs and behaviors regarding breast cancer screening. Eur J Oncol Nurs 13:94–101

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Puig A, Lee SM, Goodwin L et al (2006) The efficacy of creative arts therapies to enhance emotional expression, spiritually, and psychological well-being of newly diagnosed stage I and stage II breast cancer patients: a preliminary study. Arts Psychother 33:218–228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Vahdaninia M, Omidvari S, Montazeri A (2010) What do predict anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients? A follow-up study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 45:355–361

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Shen-ming W (2007) Concerns on diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in China. Chin Med J 120:1741–1742

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bokhari F, Sawatzky JV (2009) Chronic neuropathic pain in women after breast cancer treatment. Pain Manag Nurs 10:197–205

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Stevens PE, Dibble SL, Miaskowski C (1995) Prevalence, characteristics, and impact of postmastectomy pain syndrome: an investigation of women’s experiences. Pain 61:61–68

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Jung BF, Ahrendt GM, Oaklander AL et al (2003) Neuropathic pain following breast cancer surgery: proposed classification and research update. Pain 104:1–13

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Katz J, Poleshuck EL, Andrus H et al (2005) Risk factors for acute pain and its persistence following breast cancer surgery. Pain 119:16–25

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Bruscia K, Dileo C, Shultis C, Dennery K (2009) Expectations of hospitalized cancer and cardiac patients regarding the medical and psychotherapeutic benefits of music therapy. Arts Psychother 36:239–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Kemper KJ, Danhauer SC (2005) Music as therapy. South Med J 98:282–288

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Stefano GB, Zhu W, Cadet P (2004) Music alters constitutively expressed opiate and cytokine processes in listeners. Med Sci Monit 10:MS18–MS27

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Li YX, Wu F, Xu L et al (2009) Research progress of music therapy in treatment of tumor. J Chin Integr Med 7:468–471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Wan YH, Mao ZF, Qiu YR (2009) Influence of music therapy on anxiety, depression and pain of cancer patients. Chin Nurs Res 23:1172–1175

    Google Scholar 

  14. Zhang HL, Jin R (2003) A randomized controlled trial of electroacupuncture and traction for treatment of nerve-root type cervical spondylosis. Chin Acupunct Maxibustion 23:637–639

    Google Scholar 

  15. Cai JW (2000) Discussion of music therapy and physical and psychological rehabilitation. Chin Folk Med 8:46–47

    Google Scholar 

  16. Fang JP, Gao M (2000) Character defect of cancer patients and music supportive therapy. Chin J Cancer Prev Treat 7:576–577

    Google Scholar 

  17. Liu W (2003) Discussion of the theoretical basis of pentameter therapy. Forum Tradit Chin Med 18:17

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Dudgeon D, Raubertas RF, Rosenthal SN (1993) The short-form McGill pain questionnaire in chronic cancer pain. J Pain Symptom Manage 8:191–195

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Hack TF, Cohen L, Katz J et al (1999) Physical and psychological morbidity after axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer. J Clin Oncol 17:143–149

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Chen J, Tang ZJ, Xia ZF, Zheng XD, Zhang LC (2009) Influence of polyester gauze on evaporation capacity and healing of the surface of microskin graft wound after escharectomy. Natl Med J China 89:105–108

    Google Scholar 

  21. Caffo O, Amichetti M, Ferro A et al (2003) Pain and quality of life after surgery for breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 80:39–48

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Gao CR, Wang JS (2006) Neuropathic pain treatment study. Zhengzhou University Press, Henan, pp 50–51

    Google Scholar 

  23. Wright KD, Asmundson GJ, McCreary DR (2001) Factorial validity of the short-form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ). Eur J Pain 5:279–284

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Grafton K, Foster N, Wright C (2002) Evaluation of the test-retest reliability of the short-form McGill pain questionnaire. Physiotherapy 88:108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Wang YP, Wang XL, Liang XY et al (2002) An investigation and analysis on pain in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Chin J Rehabil Med 17:105–107

    Google Scholar 

  26. Aukst-Margetic B, Jakovljevic M, Margetic et al (2005) Religiosity, depression and pain in patients with breast cancer. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 27:250–255

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Good M, Anderson GC, Stanton-Hick M, Grass JA, Makii M (2002) Relaxation and music reduce pain after gynecologic surgery. Pain Manag Nurs 3:61–70

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Good M, Stanton-Hicks M, Grass JA et al (1999) Relief of postoperative pain with jaw relaxation, music and their combination. Pain 81:163–172

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Nilsson U, Rawal N, Unosson M (2003) A comparison of intra-operative or postoperative exposure to music—a controlled trial of the effects on postoperative pain. Anaesthesia 58:699–703

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Melzak R, Katz J (2004) The gate control theory: reaching for the brain. In: Hadjistavropoulos T, Craig KD (eds) Pain: psychological perspectives. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ, pp 13–34

    Google Scholar 

  31. Melzak R, Wall PD (1982) The challenge of pain. Basic Books, New York

    Google Scholar 

  32. Sarafino EP (2005) Health psychology: biopsychosocial interactions, 5th edn. John Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  33. Crowe BJ (2004) Music and soulmaking: toward a new theory of music therapy. Scarecrow Press, Lanham, MD

    Google Scholar 

  34. Willis WD (1985) The pain system. Karger, Vasel

    Google Scholar 

  35. Standley JM, Gregory D, Whipple J, Walworth D, Nguyen J, Jarred J et al (2005) Medical music therapy: a model program for clinical practice, education, training, and research. American Music Therapy Association, Silver Spring, MD

    Google Scholar 

  36. Siedliecki SL, Good M (2006) Effect of music on power, pain, depression and disability. J Adv Nurs 54:553–562

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Cepeda MS, Carr DB, Lau J, Alvarez H (2006) Music for pain relief. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2:CD004843

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Good M, Ahn S (2008) Korean and American music reduces pain in Korean women after gynecologic surgery. Pain Manag Nurs 9:96–103

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Lai HL, Good M (2005) Music improves sleep quality in older adults. J Adv Nurs 49:234–244

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Professor Wei-Jun Yang for helping to establish the music media library and for instructing the delivery of music therapy. We thank the Dreyfus Health Foundation, New York for funding this study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nursing, Xi’an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, Xi’an, 710061, People’s Republic of China

    Xiao-Mei Li, Kai-Na Zhou & Yin-Ping Zhang

  2. Department of Public Health, Xi’an Jiaotong University College of Medicine, No. 76, Yanta Road West, Xi’an, 710061, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Hong Yan & Shao-Nong Dang

  3. Department of Medical Statistics, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK

    Duo-Lao Wang

Authors
  1. Xiao-Mei Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hong Yan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kai-Na Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shao-Nong Dang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Duo-Lao Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yin-Ping Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hong Yan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, XM., Yan, H., Zhou, KN. et al. Effects of music therapy on pain among female breast cancer patients after radical mastectomy: results from a randomized controlled trial. Breast Cancer Res Treat 128, 411–419 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-011-1533-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-011-1533-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation