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Music as a means of fighting cancer
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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According to doctors, music therapy plays an important role in cancer treatment; experts believe that music helps a person get rid of fear and get ready for recovery.
The influence of music on the condition of cancer patients was studied at Drexel University. During the study, scientists found out that listening to music improves a person’s psychological state, and this directly affects overall health. The positive effect of music on a person has been known for a long time, but doctors claim that they now have evidence of the effectiveness of music therapy.
A team of scientists monitored the condition of cancer patients over a period of time as they listened to various musical compositions, with specialists taking into account changes in the short-term and long-term.
As a result, the scientists noted that music therapy helped more than 3 thousand patients. In the study, cancer patients listened not only to classical music, but also to other genres: country, jazz, folk, etc.
Doctors noted that after listening to music, patients experience a decrease in anxiety, fatigue, normalization of blood pressure and respiratory rate, and an improvement in mood. The specialists also noted that the study participants needed anesthetics and analgesics less often, so the beneficial effect of music was obvious. Doctors note that the changes that occur with patients certainly create favorable conditions for recovery and restoration of the body, and many cancer patients recovered faster.
The author of the new project is Joke Bredt, a certified music therapist and associate professor of creative arts therapy. Professor Bredt has worked with patients suffering from chronic pain, chronic illness, mental illness, and hospitalized children. His main focus of medical practice is the use of vocal and instrumental improvisation.
Professor Bredt's colleagues acknowledged that before music therapy is recognised as an effective method of combating serious illnesses, much further research will be required, but music can already be used as a secondary means of helping seriously ill patients.
According to some data, the researchers do not intend to stop at the obtained results and want to continue studying the influence of music on the condition of cancer patients. According to doctors, their work will help find a perfect cure for cancer, which will save the lives of millions of people, including children. Cancer has become a real plague of our century and in Oxford, specialists even called it the scourge of European society. According to one study, cancer has become the leading cause of death in 12 European countries, while just a few decades ago, cardiovascular diseases were in first place.
By the way, at the University of Brussels, a team of specialists proved that sounds can influence not only a person’s mental or emotional state, but also their taste perceptions. The study found that music can influence the taste of beer, making it more delicious.
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