Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Art Therapy on Healthy Quality of Life in Women with Breast Cancer

Objective. To systematically review the evidence available on the effects of art therapy and music therapy interventions in patients with breast cancer. Design. Systematic search was conducted in PubMed, EBSCO, and Cochrane Central databases. Articles were scanned using the following keywords: “art therapy” or “music therapy” and “breast cancer” or “breast neoplasms,” “breast carcinoma,” “breast tumor,” and “mammary cancer.” Only RCTs published in English, with a control group and experimental group, and presenting pre-/post-therapy results were included. PRISMA guidelines for this systematic review were followed. Results. Twenty randomized controlled trials matched the eligibility criteria. Nine studies evaluated the effect of art therapy, and eleven evaluated the effect of music therapy. Improvements were measured in stress, anxiety, depression reduction, pain, fatigue, or other cancer-related somatic symptoms’ management. Overall, the results show that art therapy was oriented towards the effects on quality of life and emotional symptoms while music therapy is the most often applied for anxiety reduction purposes during or before surgeries or chemotherapy sessions. Conclusion. Art and music therapies show effective opportunities for breast cancer patients to reduce negative emotional state and improve the quality of life and seem to be promising nonmedicated treatment options in breast oncology. However, more detailed and highly descriptive single therapy and primary mental health outcome measuring RCTs are necessary to draw an evidence-based advise for the use of art and music therapies.

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The Effect of a Person-centered Group Art Therapy Program on self-esteem, depression, anxiety and quality of life of the Breast Cancer Patients

Korean Journal of Art Therapy ◽

10.35594/kata.2010.17.2.012 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 415-442 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

원희랑 ◽

Youngran Kim

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Art Therapy ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Therapy Program

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A Model of an Integrative Approach to Breast Cancer Patients

Integrative Cancer Therapies ◽

10.1177/15347354211040826 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 ◽

pp. 153473542110408

Author(s):

Cristina Rossi ◽

Claudia Maggiore ◽

Maria Maddalena Rossi ◽

Alessio Filippone ◽

Donatella Guarino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Art Therapy ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Composition Analysis ◽

Integrative Oncology ◽

Lifestyle Counseling

Background: Breast cancer (BC) survivors have physical and psychological needs that require convincing responses by health care providers. The quality of life issue and clinical unmet needs are among the main reasons pushing a number of patients toward “natural” therapies that are often misleading and alternative to mainstream cancer care. Integrative Oncology (IO) tries to respond to many of those needs, by combining lifestyle counseling, body-mind activities, and complementary evidence-informed therapies with anticancer standard treatments. Methods: In our model at Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli (FPG), every woman diagnosed with a BC waiting for surgery or candidate to neoadjuvant chemotherapy undergoes a preliminary psycho-oncological distress evaluation and a brief lifestyle interview. Anthropometric measurements, body composition analysis, and individual levels of physical activity are recorded. Patients are given evidence based recommendations about the advisable diet and physical activity in a prehabilitation setting. A physician provides patients with information about integrative care plans to treat symptoms related to the disease or its treatments. Therapeutic approaches include acupuncture, mindfulness-based protocols, qigong, massage therapy, and classes of music/art therapy. Results: Between September 2018 and February 2020, the Center for Integrative Oncology at FPG has carried out 1249 lifestyle counseling sessions, 1780 acupuncture treatments, 1340 physiotherapy sessions, 3261 psycho-oncological consultations, 218 herbal medicine counseling sessions. Moreover, 90 BC patients completed the mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) protocol and 970 patients participated in qigong, art therapy, and music therapy classes. Conclusions: Our integrative approach aims to achieve a person-centered medicine by improving symptoms management, adherence to oncological protocols, and eventually overall quality of life.

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