Bradt, J., Goodill, S. W., & Dileo, C. (2011). Dance/movement therapy for improving psychological and physical outcomes in cancer patients. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CD007103.

To compare the effects of dance/movement therapy to standard care and other interventions for patients with cancer.  

Databases searched were Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, LILACS, Science Citation Index, CANCERLIT, International Bibliography of Theatre and Dance, ProQuest Digital Dissertations, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Current Controlled Trials National Research Register.

An extensive listing of specific search keywords per database was provided.

Studies were included in the review if they were

• Randomized, controlled trials
• Quasiexperimental designs
• Studies comparing dance/movement therapy to usual care or usual care and another intervention.

The exclusion criteria were not specified.

In total, 15 references were retrieved.

Criteria for quality evaluation from the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews was applied.  Studies were deemed to be of very low quality.

• Two studies were included in the final review.
• In total, 68 patients with breast cancer were included.

One study examined the effect of movement therapy on fatigue.  Analysis showed a stardardized mean difference (SMD) of 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.14, 1.63]).  No strong positive findings were found for body image in patients with breast cancer in mood or distress. One study showed a moderate significant effect on quality of life (SMD = 0.89; 95% CI [0.21, 1.57]).

Findings suggested that dance therapy may be beneficial in women with breast cancer to improve fatigue and quality of life.  However, the quality of the evidence was very low, and only two small studies were found.

• The studies were of low quality.
• Only two studies were included.

Exercise has been shown to be effective in reducing fatigue in several types of patients with cancer.  Dance/movement therapy can be seen as another type of exercise that can be beneficial.