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Music interventions can alleviate cancer-related fatigue: a metaanalysis

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Abstract

Purpose

This study was designed to critically evaluate the effect of music interventions on cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in cancer patients.

Methods

Seven databases (Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embace, CBM, Wanfang, VIP, and CNKI) were systematically reviewed from inception to June 2020 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Two reviewers critically and independently assessed the risk of bias using Cochrane Collaboration criteria and extracted correlated data using the designed form. All analyses were performed with Review Manager 5.3.

Results

A total of 8 qualified studies that included 467 patients (music interventions: 235, control: 232) were included. Cancer patients who completed adjuvant therapy in the music intervention group, especially those with malignant hematological diseases, reported reduced CRF levels compared with patients undergoing routine care. Regardless of the frequencies, music interventions can relieve fatigue in cancer patients. Providing prerecorded music and participating in live music both can mitigate CRF.

Conclusions

Music interventions can be considered as an alternative therapy for relieving fatigue in cancer patients who are undergoing active treatment or have completed treatment.

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Data availability

The authors have full control of all primary data and agree to allow the journal to review the data if requested.

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Funding

This study was supported by the Humanity and Social Science Youth Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (Project No. 18YJCZH164).

Author information

Author notes

  1. Yishu Qi and Lu Lin contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, No. 188 Shizi Road, Suzhou, 215006, China

    Yishu Qi, Lu Lin & Li Tian

  2. School of Nursing, Soochow University, No. 188 Shizi Road, Suzhou, 215006, China

    Yishu Qi, Lu Lin, Bei Dong & Li Tian

  3. Suzhou Municipal Hospital, Suzhou, China

    Ewen Xu, Zhaokang Bao & Jie Qi

  4. Suzhou Health Commission, No. 89 Xujiang Road, Suzhou, 215000, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaokang Chen

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  1. Yishu Qi
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Contributions

Qi YS, Lin Lu, Dong B, and Xu EW performed the metaanalysis. Qi YS, Lin L, and Tian L wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Bao ZK and Qi J supervised the work. Tian L and Chen XK revised the final manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Xiaokang Chen or Li Tian.

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Appendix

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Table 3 A detailed search strategy for PubMed
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Qi, Y., Lin, L., Dong, B. et al. Music interventions can alleviate cancer-related fatigue: a metaanalysis. Support Care Cancer 29, 3461–3470 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-021-05986-4

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