Music for breast cancer patients?
Meet the Experts
Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D. is an associate professor and director of the Integrative Medicine Program at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Cohen is conducting a number of studies to find out how complementary techniques such as meditation, stress management, emotional writing, yoga, and music therapy might be able to improve patients' quality of life during cancer treatment.
Beth Baughman DuPree, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a general surgeon with a focus in breast cancer care and the CEO and medical director of the Comprehensive Breast Care Institute at DSI of Bucks County, PA.
Question from SuzR: I'm curious what types of music breast cancer patients find most helpful. I have used a wide variety of music to help me get through various stresses and procedures—is there a pattern to types that are deemed most helpful?
- Answers —Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D: This is a very interesting question. I think that music is very personal, and what may be useful for one person may not be for another. It is important when thinking about or wanting to use music to help therapeutically to not only focus on songs that may be slow and relaxing, but also to think about how the music makes you feel. As music is very personal, what may be uplifting to one person may be very sad for another person, due to how they associate with that music. As far as I know, there is no specific research that has examined specific forms of music being more or less useful for helping with the recovery process.
- Beth DuPree, M.D., F.A.C.S.: I ask my patients what music they would like to listen to when going to sleep in the operating room. Many will bring a CD with them to play in the operating room to listen to, which is clearly their preference, and others prefer that I pick the music, as they want me to be happy when performing the surgery! Either way works great with me.
On Wednesday, March 21, 2007, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Complementary Medicine Techniques. Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D. and moderator Beth Baughman DuPree, M.D., F.A.C.S. answered your questions about different types of complementary techniques and how they can help during and after breast cancer treatment.
The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of Breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.
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