Music Therapy in United States Cancer Settings: Recent Trends in Practice

This paper describes recent trends in the practice of music therapy in cancer care and offers practical recommendations for music therapy treatment based upon those trends. These trends were determined through a review of literature, interviews of head nurses, and a survey of 164 music therapists who serve cancer patients. Survey results indicated that all respondents aimed to address psychosocial needs among people with cancer, that more music therapists work in inpatient than in outpatient settings, and that 70% of respondents prefer to utilize primarily live music interventions. The paper describes other changes in music therapy treatment over the past five years, primary uses of music to achieve goals for oncology patients, and how the layout of the physical environment impacts therapists' choice of intervention.