Cancer survivorship is an important area of medicine as it focuses on the quality of life of patients after experiencing cancer and cancer treatment. Thankfully, many patients survive cancers and other benign tumor diagnoses but must live with the side effects and subsequent consequences of their treatment. These, sometimes lifelong, effects can diminish quality of life and interfere with day-to-day activities. A number of therapy tools have been developed to aid in survivorship care, but how can we advance new digital therapy tools for cancer survivorship and brain-related diseases, specifically quality of life? The University of Cincinnati has curated an innovative team of faculty and students across disciplines to develop digital applications to emphasize cancer and brain tumor survivorship and create new methods for health and wellbeing at the hands of people. This includes the CAN Quality of Life applications which use novel technologies to administer digital pre-existing therapies. The first, ARMCan, is a digital music therapy instrument used by breast cancer patients with post-chemotherapy brain fog. The second, ARTCan, is a digital art therapy platform in which vestibular schwannoma and NF2 patients with mood issues can complete self-guided art activities. ARTCan is partnered with ARCCan, animal robotic-like companions. A narrative application for cancer survivors and caregivers is being developed. These CAN applications hope to improve the quality of life for the people they serve by improving executive function and mood, respectfully. ARMCan and ARTCan/ARCCan pilot feasibility studies are currently accruing subjects at our institution.
e13619 Background: Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women with approximately 2 million women diagnosed in 2018. The 10-year survival rate is 78%. Breast cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy treatment can suffer neurocognitive impairment resulting in significant effects on their cognitive functioning. Chemotherapy-related dysfunction is known as “chemobrain”. Chemobrain is the basis of significant neurological morbidities in the breast cancer population. It causes difficulty in people being able to carry out activities of daily living and impacts people’s livelihoods and well-being. Studies have shown that music-based intervention can improve cognitive function. Methods: Since music-based interventions to specifically address chemo-related cognitive deficits have not been explored, we are conducting a pilot feasibility study to beta test the novel Active Receptive Music for Cancer patients application (ARMCan) which allows its user to have an interactive musical experience. Patients are randomized into two arms. In receptive listening, users listen to a genre of their choice, and in active listening, users add sounds over a base trace. At the beginning of the study, patients will be given a FACT-Cog questionnaire and undergo MRI imaging. The study invention will be conducted for six months where patients will use the ARMCan app for 15 minutes daily. They will be followed for one year post-study intervention with FACT-Cog questionnaires given directly after the cessation of the study intervention and at months six and 12 of follow up. An additional MRI will be taken at month 12 of follow up. Results: FACT-Cog and MRI data will be used to analyze the results of active versus receptive music therapy on chemotherapy-related cognition dysfunction. Conclusions: We are currently accruing patients to beta test this interactive application, which may promote executive function recovery in breast cancer patients with chemobrain and advance clinical care in breast cancer survivorship.
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