When breast cancer survivor and New York DJ Cynthia Malaran found herself frozen after her double mastectomy, unable to fully move her arms, she discovered something remarkable. Through music, she could raise her arms and momentarily forget her trauma. "When you can forget, even for three minutes this has happened to you, that's a win," she says, and her story is now inspiring cancer patients everywhere.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center participated in an exciting study that confirms what many have long suspected: music truly does have healing powers. The research team was pleasantly surprised to discover that music therapy proved just as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy and traditional talk therapy in treating depression and mental health issues among cancer patients.

The Melody Study brought together cancer patients and music therapists for a comprehensive seven-week program that offered something for everyone. Participants could choose from passive activities like simply listening to music, or dive into more active experiences like creating their own musical compositions. This flexibility allowed each person to engage with music in the way that felt most healing to them.

For Malaran, the breakthrough came during humming exercises with her therapist, Camila Casaw. "That was something that was almost unlocked in her brain," Casaw recalls warmly. The simple act of humming created vibrations that helped Malaran access emotions and thoughts she'd been struggling to express. "That vibration, that sound makes things percolate to the top," Malaran explains. She began writing down words as they came to her: stressed, anxiety, flowers.

The result was a deeply personal, hypnotic song that captured Malaran's unique journey and feelings. It became a testament to her healing process and creativity reborn.

The Ripple Effect

This study represents a significant advancement in how we approach cancer care. While medical treatments focus on eliminating cancer from the body, music therapy addresses the equally important need for emotional and mental healing. The fact that music therapy performs on par with established psychological treatments opens exciting new doors for patient care.

The implications extend far beyond individual patients. As more cancer centers adopt music therapy programs, thousands of patients who might not connect with traditional talk therapy now have an equally effective alternative. Some patients may find it easier to express difficult emotions through music rather than words, making treatment more accessible and personal.

Music therapy also offers a creative outlet during one of life's most challenging experiences. Patients aren't just passively receiving treatment. They're actively creating, expressing themselves, and reclaiming joy and agency in their lives. For someone like Malaran, who felt frozen both physically and emotionally, music became the key to unlocking movement, creativity, and hope.

The Melody Study proves that healing takes many forms, and sometimes the most powerful medicine comes not in a pill bottle, but through a melody. As Malaran demonstrates, three minutes of forgetting your pain through music isn't just a momentary escape. It's a genuine victory on the road to recovery.