Music therapy in a comprehensive cancer center

The use of music as a therapeutic tool in health and medicine dates back to ancient times. In modern Western medicine, music therapy has been available since the 1950s and is now often incorporated into conventional medicine care. Music therapy is a common modality that is used in hospital settings as part of complementary and integrative medicine programs. It is also a key therapeutic tool used within most integrative medicine programs at large cancer centers in the United States. When used in conjunction with conventional cancer treatments, music therapy has been found to help patients promote a better quality of life; better communicate their fear, sadness, or other feelings; and better manage stress, while alleviating physical pain and discomfort. In this article, we review the literature on the value of integrating music therapy in cancer care and describe the experience of music therapy at a large comprehensive cancer center and the benefits that patients with cancer obtain from this service.