Radiotherapy Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Radiotherapy, including details on cancer treatment, side effects.

Music therapy as a non-pharmacological anxiolytic for paediatric radiotherapy patients.

O'Callaghan C, Sexton M, Wheeler G

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. clare.ocallaghan@petermac.org

Outpatient radiotherapy treatment in the paediatric cancer patient can be a traumatic and an anxiety-provoking experience for both the patient and the family. Music therapy has been widely reported to have psychosocial, educational and physical benefits for the paediatric cancer patient. Using individual case reports, this paper shows the successful use of music therapy as a non-pharmacological anxiolytic in the paediatric radiotherapy, outpatient waiting room setting, by providing the patient and the family with a means of communication, self-expression and creativity.

Published 10 April 2007 in Australas Radiol, 51(2): 159-62.
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