WebMD Health News Laura J. Martin, MD Aug. 10, 2011 -- Listening
to recorded music or working with a music therapist may reduce
anxiety levels of cancer patients and have other positive
effects as well, a new study shows. Listening to recorded music,
singing, playing an instrument, or otherwise participating in
music making apparently also have positive effects on general
mood, pain, and quality of life, according to the study. The
study is published in the August issue of Cochrane Database of
Systematic Reviews. "The evidence suggests that music
interventions may be useful as a complementary treatment to
people with cancer," says Joke Bradt, PhD, an associate
professor in creative arts therapies at Drexel University, in a
news release. "Music interventions provided by trained music
therapists as well as listening to pre-recorded music both have
shown positive outcomes in this review, but at this time there
is not enough evidence to determine if one intervention is more
effective than the other." Together wit