Music therapy, quality of life and efficacy of immunotherapy for NSCLC

Objective Our study examines how non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survivors undergoing immunotherapy can experience reduced anxiety and psychological distress, improved quality of life (QOL) and increased immunotherapy efficacy. Methods 133 men and 20 women with NSCLCs were enrolled. In a randomised controlled trial involving a care as usual group (CG) and a music therapy group (MTG), the researchers employed various tools such as the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Symptom Distress Thermometer, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General version 4 and Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours. These measures were used to evaluate anxiety, psychological distress, QOL and immunotherapy efficacy in patients undergoing immunotherapy before and after patients’ completion. Results After the intervention, patients in the MTG demonstrated a noteworthy reduction in anxiety (t=6.272, p≤0.001) and distress (t=10.111, p≤0.001), as well as an increase in QOL (t=−7.649, p≤0.001). Moreover, compared with patients in the CG, those in the MTG demonstrated a remarkable drop in anxiety (t=−4.72, p≤0.001) and distress (t=−7.29, p≤0.001), a significant increase in QOL (t=5.363, p≤0.001) and a significant improvement in immunotherapy efficacy (z=−2.18, p≤0.05) after the intervention. Conclusions The use of individual music therapy sessions appears to be effective in reducing anxiety and distress, while also increasing QOL and immunotherapy efficacy in patients with NSCLCs undergoing immunotherapy.