Ezzone, S., Baker, C., Rosselet, R., & Terepka, E. (1998). Music as an adjunct to antiemetic therapy. Oncology Nursing Forum, 25, 1551–1556.
Patients were randomly assigned to the control group (usual antiemetic protocol) or experimental group (usual antiemetic protocol plus music intervention during the 48 hours of high-dose cyclophosphamide administered as part of the preparative regimen for autologous or allogeneic bone marrow transplantation). The experimental group listened to self-selected music (by portable compact disc players and headphones) for 45 minutes at 6, 9, and 12 hours after the start of each infusion as an adjunct to antiemetic therapy.
The study was conducted at a comprehensive cancer center in the midwestern United States.
The study design was a randomized, controlled clinical trial.
Significant differences were found between scores on the VAS for nausea and number of episodes of vomiting; less nausea and fewer instances of vomiting were reported in the experimental group.
Music as an adjunct to antiemetic therapy for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting with high-dose chemotherapy can be effective.