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Cited by 188Diversity and Impact of DanceCancer survivorship and careArt Therapy and Mental Health

Dance/movement therapy for improving psychological and physical outcomes in cancer patients

Open access
Bradt, Joke, Shim, Minjung, Goodill, Sherry W·2015·Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
DOI 10.1002/14651858.cd007103.pub3PMC PMC7204197
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Current cancer care increasingly incorporates psychosocial interventions. Cancer patients use dance/movement therapy to learn to accept and reconnect with their bodies, build new self-confidence, enhance self-expression, address feelings of isolation, depression, anger and fear and to strengthen personal resources. OBJECTIVES: To update the previously published review that examined the effects of dance/movement therapy and standard care versus standard care alone or standard care and other interventions on psychological and physical outcomes in patients with cancer. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2014, Issue 6), MEDLINE (OvidSP, 1950 to June week 4, 2014), EMBASE (OvidSP, 1980 to 2014 week 26), CINAHL (EBSCOhost, 1982 to July 15 2014), PsycINFO (EBSCOhost, 1806 to July 15 2014), LILACS (Virual Health Library, 1982 to July 15 2014), Science Citation Index (ISI, 1974 to July 15 2014), CancerLit (1983 to 2003), International Bibliography of Theatre and Dance (1989 to July 15 2014), the National Research Register (2000 to September 2007), Proquest Digital Dissertations, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Current Controlled Trials (all to July 15 2014). We handsearched dance/movement therapy and related topics journals, reviewed reference lists and contacted experts. There was no language restriction. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included all randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials of dance/movement therapy interventions for improving psychological and physical outcomes in patients with cancer. We considered studies only if dance/movement therapy was provided by a formally trained dance/movement therapist or by trainees in a formal dance/movement therapy program. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently extracted the data and assessed the methodological quality, seeking additional information from the trial researchers when necessary. Results were presented using standardized mean differences. MAIN RESULTS: We identified one new trial for inclusion in this update. In total, the evidence for this review rests on three studies with a total of 207 participants.We found no evidence for an effect of dance/movement therapy on depression (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.28 to 0.32, P = 0.89, I2 = 0%) (two studies, N = 170), stress (SMD = -0.18, 95% CI -0.48 to 0.12, P = 0.24, I2 = 0%) (two studies, N = 170), anxiety (SMD = 0.21, 95% CI -0.09 to 0.51 P = 0.18, I2 = 0%) (two studies, N = 170), fatigue (SMD = -0.36, 95% -1.26 to 0.55, P = 0.44, I² = 80%) (two studies, N = 170) and body image (SMD = -0.13, 95% CI -0.61 to 0.34, P = 0.58, I2 = 0%) (two studies, N = 68) in women with breast cancer. The data of one study with moderate risk of bias suggested that dance/movement therapy had a large beneficial effect on 37 participants' quality of life (QoL) (SMD = 0.89, 95% CI 0.21 to 1.57). One study with a high risk of bias reported greater improvements in vigor and greater reduction in somatization in the dance/movement therapy group compared to a standard care control group (N = 31). The individual studies did not find support for an effect of dance/movement therapy on mood, mental health, and pain. It is unclear whether this was due to ineffectiveness of the treatment, inappropriate outcome measures or limited power of the trials. Finally, the results of one study did not find evidence for an effect of dance/movement therapy on shoulder range of motion (ROM) or arm circumference in 37 women who underwent a lumpectomy or breast surgery. However, this was likely due to large within-group variability for shoulder ROM and a limited number of participants with lymphedema.Two studies presented moderate risk of bias and one study high risk of bias. Therefore, overall, the quality of the evidence is very low. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We did not find support for an effect of dance/movement therapy on depression, stress, anxiety, fatigue and body image . The findings of individual studies suggest that dance/movement therapy may have a beneficial effect on QoL, somatization, and vigor. However, the limited number of studies prevents us from drawing conclusions concerning the effects of dance/movement therapy on psychological and physical outcomes in cancer patients.

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  1. to studies excluded from this Chiquiar 1988 {published data only} Chiquiar M. Cancer: Working through anger and pain with authentic movement and entertainment and music. In: Presentation at the 23rd National Conference of American Dance Therapy Association. Baltimore, MD: American Dance Therapy Association, 1988.
  2. Choi 2003 {unpublished data only} Choi H. Dance therapy for children who have bone marrow transplant. Master's Thesis, Pratt Institute, US 2003.
  3. Goldov 2011 {unpublished data only} Goldov N. The effect of medical dance/movement therapy on body image wellness in women with breast cancer. Doctoral Dissertation, Argosy University, Seattle,US 2011.
  4. Mannheim 2005 {published data only} Mannheim EG, Weis J. Dance therapy with cancer patients: Results of a pilot study. Musik, Tanz, und Kunsttherapie 2005;16(3):121-8.
  5. Mannheim 2013 {published data only} Mannheim EG, Helmes A, Weis J. Dance/movement therapy in oncological rehabilitation. Forsch Komplementmed 2013;20(1):33-41.
  6. Moskow 1996 {unpublished data only} Moskow J. Dance therapy as an intervention in breast cancer patients. Master's Thesis. Hunter College, US 1996.
  7. Borscheid E, Walster E, Bohrnstedt G. Body image scale. Psychology Today 1972;6:58-64.
  8. Cassileth B, Jonas W, Cassidy CM. Research methodologies. In: Berman BM, Larson DB, editors(s). Alternative Medicine: Expanding Medical Horizons: A Report to the NIH on Alternative Medical Systems and Practices in the US, Prepared under the auspices of the Workshop on Alternative Medicine. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, National Institutes of Health, 1994:289-98.
  9. McKibben H. Dance-movement therapy with the medical population. In: Presentation at the 23rd National Conference of ADTA. Baltimore, MD, 1988.

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Authors
Bradt, J., Shim, M., & Goodill, S. W.
Affiliations
Drexel University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2015-01-07
Volume
1
Pages
CD007103-CD007103
ISSN
  • 1361-6137 (ISSN-L)
  • 1465-1858
DOI
10.1002/14651858.cd007103.pub3
PMC
PMC7204197
OpenAlex
W2108276209
Cited by
188
References
57
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 10
FWCI
2.17
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Diversity and Impact of Dance
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Conservation › Art Therapy and Mental Health
Keywords
dance therapy, cancer patients, psychosocial interventions, depression, anxiety, quality of life, body image, self-esteem, self-confidence, social isolation, physical function, fatigue, sleep quality, cancer survivorship, tumor recurrence, cancer-related fatigue, cancer pain, cancer-related sleep disturbance, body acceptance, self-expression, self-efficacy, coping
MeSH terms
Body Image, Breast Neoplasms, Dance Therapy, Depression, Fatigue, Female, Humans, Neoplasms, Quality of Life, Self Concept, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Exercise Movement Techniques, Standard of Care

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