title: Prospective Study on Music Therapy in Terminally Ill Cancer Patients during Specialized Inpatient Palliative Care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was a prospective evaluation of feasibility, acceptance, and potential beneficial effects of music therapy in terminally ill cancer patients on a specialized palliative care inpatient ward.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intervention had to consist of at least two sessions, but frequency and duration was left to the patients` decision. Different music therapy methods were offered to the patient at the beginning of every session. Patients rated their subjective benefit. Disease-related and sociodemographic factors were considered as potentially influencing factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 166 music therapy sessions were performed with 41 patients (average, 4; range, 2-10). Average session duration was 41 minutes (range, 20-70). Most favored methods were therapeutic conversation in 84% of sessions; listening to relaxing music, 39%; playing an instrument, 31%; and music-lead imagination, 11%. Receptive music therapy was applied in 45%, active forms in 25%, a combination of both in 7%, and therapeutic conversation only in 23%. Music therapy was rated to be "helpful" in 68%. Positive effects were significantly associated with frequency (p = 0.009) and duration (p = 0.040), living in a partnership (p = 0.017), having children (p = 0.035), psycho-oncologic therapy (p = 0.043), experience with music therapy (p = 0.007), role of music in life (p = 0.035), playing an instrument (p = 0.021), and singing regularly (p = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Music therapy techniques, especially receptive methods, are feasible and well accepted in terminally ill cancer patients. Therapeutic conversation seems to play an important role. Frequency and duration of music therapy, previous experience with music and music therapy, as well as sociodemographic factors influence positive effects of music therapy.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Oncology, Hematology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation with section of Pneumology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Germany .
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kordovan
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Oncology, Hematology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation with section of Pneumology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Germany .|2 Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Germany .
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Preissler
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Anaesthesiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Germany .
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamphausen
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Oncology, Hematology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation with section of Pneumology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Germany .
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bokemeyer
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Oncology, Hematology, and Bone Marrow Transplantation with section of Pneumology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf , Germany .
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oechsle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009147:Music Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019452:Terminally Ill