The Effects of Music Listening on Pain Perception and Coping with Breast Cancer

In patients with breast cancer, pain is often a significant factor that can determine the success of coping with the disease and overall quality of life.For this reason, in addition to analgesics, the use of various complementary approaches is also recommended, of which music listening can reduce the perception of pain.On this basis, this study aimed to assess the influence of music listening in a clinical setting on music experience, pain perception and, therefore, daily functioning during the postoperative period in breast cancer patients.For the evaluation, a qualitative thematic analysis was conducted using a semi-structured interview.The results show that music listening evokes positive emotions, relieves physical pain, improves daily functioning during hospitalization and facilitates coping with the diagnosis of breast cancer.It can be concluded that music is easily applicable in the clinical setting without harmful consequences and that it can serve as a distraction medium from feelings of pain to feelings of pleasure and satisfaction.