Abstract
BACKGROUND: Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) frequently experience cancer-related fatigue (CRF), anxiety and depression during chemotherapy, significantly impairing their quality of life. This study evaluates the efficacy of the five-element music therapy combined with mindfulness meditation in alleviating CRF and psychological distress amongst DLBCL patients who are undergoing chemotherapy. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study on 78 DLBCL patients who were treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University (June 2022-December 2023). The patients were divided as follows: (1) conventional care group (n = 39) and (2) conventional care + combined five-element music therapy and mindfulness meditation group (combined group, n = 39). The assessed outcomes included the following: Cancer Fatigue Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Hamilton Depression (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety (HAMA) scales, treatment compliance and nursing satisfaction scores. RESULTS: Compared with the conventional care group, the combined group had lower scores in physical fatigue, emotional fatigue and cognitive fatigue (all P < 0.001); lower scores in HAMD, HAMA and PSQI (all P < 0.001); longer sleep duration (P < 0.001); better compliance (P = 0.023); higher satisfaction (P = 0.042) and a higher score in EORTC QLQ-C30 (all P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The combination of the five-element music therapy with mindfulness meditation reduces CRF, anxiety and depression amongst DLBCL chemotherapy patients whilst enhancing treatment compliance, sleep quality and overall quality of life. This combined non-pharmacological approach demonstrates promise as an adjunctive therapy in oncology care.