The Effect of Music on Anxiety, Pain Levels, and Physiological Parameters in Women Undergoing Brachytherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of music on anxiety, pain, and physiologic parameters in women undergoing brachytherapy. DATA SOURCES: The study was conducted with a randomized controlled design between June and December 2022. Music intervention was practiced to the patients in the experimental group (n = 30), while no practice was given to the control group (n = 25). In the study, the data were collected using the Descriptive Information Form, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, visual analog scale, and vital signs (temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, SpO2) recording form. Intergroup and intragroup averages were evaluated by the mixed-design analysis of variance. Variables with pre-post intervention designs were evaluated with the one-way analysis of covariance. There was no significant difference in physiological parameters between the groups (P > . 05). Although the mean anxiety scores decreased in the music group and increased in the control group, there was no statistically significant difference (P > .05). A significant difference was found in the pain levels of the patients in repeated measurements made in intragroup evaluations (P < .001). The depression mean of the music intervention group was significantly lower than the control group (P ≤ .05). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the music played during the brachytherapy process had positive effects on feeling less pain and management of depressive symptoms but did not affect anxiety and physiological parameters. Since each patient is different, the effects of music therapy can vary individually. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nurses should apply different strategies to investigate session frequencies and durations for different patient groups and treatment stages in cancer care.

Effects of foot massage applied in two different methods on symptom control in colorectal cancer patients: Randomised control trial.

This randomized controlled clinical study aimed to determine the effect of 2 foot massage methods on symptom control in people with colorectal cancer who received chemoradiotherapy. Data were collected between June 16, 2015, and February 10, 2016, in the Department of Radiation Oncology of an oncology training and research hospital. The sample comprised 60 participants. Data were collected using an introductory information form, common terminology criteria for adverse events and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaires C30 and CR29. Participants were randomly allocated to 3 groups: classical foot massage, reflexology, and standard care control. The classical massage group received foot massage using classical massage techniques, and the reflexology group received foot reflexology focusing on symptom-oriented reflexes twice a week during a 5-week chemoradiotherapy treatment schedule. The control group received neither classical massage nor reflexology. All patients were provided with the same clinic routine care. The classical massage was effective in reducing pain level and distension incidence while foot reflexology was effective in reducing pain and fatigue level, lowering incidence of distension and urinary frequency and improving life quality.