Tenovus Cancer Choirs Study: the Benefits of Singing for Those Affected by Cancer

NCT02756780 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: SWU2016
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 420
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

'Sing With Us' choirs are an initiative established in Wales by Tenovus Cancer Care to provide social support and improve mental wellbeing amongst those affected by cancer, whether patients, carers or staff. Research has already demonstrated that these choirs can reduce depression and anxiety amongst participants and improve social support networks and quality of life as well as preliminary evidence that they can reduce levels of stress hormones and improve immune function. The aim of this study is to establish more about the psychological benefits of regular choir singing and explore whether the biological changes noted in pilot studies can be sustained over time. This could identify whether choirs have the potential to optimise health in people affected by cancer, helping to put patients in the best position to receive treatment or maintain remission and supporting those who care for someone with cancer, whether professionally or informally.

Conditions

Cancer

Keywords

Remission; Carer; Psychological; Bereaved; Cancer; Breast; Prostate; Colorectal; Music

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Anxiety & Depression

  Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

  Change in anxiety and depression level at weeks 6, 12 and 24 compared to baseline

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Social Support

  Change in social provision level at weeks 6, 12 and 24 compared to baseline

• Wellbeing

  Change in wellbeing level at weeks 6, 12 and 24 compared to baseline

• Self-efficacy

  Change in self-efficacy level at weeks 6, 12 and 24 compared to baseline

• Self-esteem

  Change in self-esteem level at weeks 6, 12 and 24 compared to baseline

• General Health

  Change in general health level at weeks 6, 12 and 24 compared to baseline

Study Arms (2)

Tenovus Cancer Choir

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will be asked to attend 12 weeks of weekly choir rehearsals lasting approximately 1 hour. Following the first 12 weeks, participants will no longer be asked to attend rehearsals, but are welcome to do so. Whether or not they do and how many they attend will be measured as an outcome variable to assess whether initial 3-month involvement leads to long-term engagement.

Other: Tenovus Cancer Choir

Control (no choir) Group

NO INTERVENTION

If eligible participants are unable to make the dates and times or live too far away but fulfil all the same criteria (including expressing an interest in singing) they will become part of the control group. This will involve the same data collection as the Cancer Choir Group but participants will not sing in a weekly choir.

Interventions

Tenovus Cancer Choir OTHER

Choir sessions will take place at both of the Royal Marsden Hospital sites on a weekly basis. Sessions typically consist of learning popular songs with messages of support. Songs are learnt without sheet music, using specially created backing tracks. These are also made available to participants at home so they can continue singing away from the sessions. No singing experience is required and the main aim of the sessions is enjoyment and meeting other people. Sessions will take place in the early evening so that participants have the option of staying to socialise afterwards.

Tenovus Cancer Choir

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• COHORT A: (i) Patients with stage I-III breast cancer up to 24 months post diagnosis
• (ii) Patients with diagnosed prostate cancer on active surveillance
• (iii) Patients with colorectal cancer stages I-III up to 24 months post diagnosis
• COHORT B: (i) Members of staff at a hospital
• (ii) People who care for somebody with cancer, whether formally or informally
• (iii) People who have lost a family member or somebody they cared for to cancer in the last 3 years
• COHORT C: anybody who is affected by cancer and has joined the choir

You may not qualify if:

• Participants aged under the age of 18
• Level of English insufficient to provide informed consent or complete the psychological questionnaires
• Refusal to participate
• Already engaged in a weekly group choir
• Started a formal course of psychological therapy in the past 1 month or scheduled to start in the next 12 weeks
• Started any new medication for anxiety or depression in the last month
• Currently having chemotherapy or radiotherapy or less than 90 days since last session
• Scheduled for surgery in the next 12 weeks or less than 90 days post surgery
• Have a current diagnosis of an additional immune condition e.g. lupus
• Currently being treated with steroids or immunosuppressive medication
• Participants who are pregnant

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust: lead
• London Cancer Alliance: collaborator
• Royal College of Music: collaborator
• Tenovus Cancer Care: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

London/Surrey, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Fancourt D, Finn S, Warran K, Wiseman T. Group singing in bereavement: effects on mental health, self-efficacy, self-esteem and well-being. BMJ Support Palliat Care. 2022 Oct;12(e4):e607-e615. doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-001642. Epub 2019 Jun 26.

  PMID: 31243022 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neoplasms

Study Officials

• Theresa Wiseman, PhD

  Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Daisy Fancourt, PhD

CONTACT

07958 065 563; d.fancourt@imperial.ac.uk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 28, 2016
• First Posted: April 29, 2016
• Study Start: April 1, 2016
• Primary Completion: December 1, 2017
• Study Completion: April 1, 2018
• Last Updated: April 29, 2016

Record last verified: 2016-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)