Effectiveness of dance movement therapy and dance movement interventions on cancer patients’ health-related outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives
This review examined the effectiveness of using dance movement therapy (DMT) and dance movement interventions (DMIs) with cancer and palliative care patients.

Methods
A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Six databases were searched from inception to July 9, 2022, without limits on year or age. Searching was updated on July 10, 2023. The risk of bias was assessed by the Cochrane (RoB 2) and ROBINS-I tools. Meta-analyses were conducted to pool estimates of the effects of DMT and DMI on patients’ health-related outcomes. A narrative synthesis of outcomes was performed where meta-analysis was not appropriate.

Results
Among a total of 16 studies included in this review, nine were randomized controlled trials and seven were non-randomized trials, with a total of 893 participants. Only six of these studies were fully or partially described as true DMTs (some with less clarity than others), whereas the majority (n = 10) were DMIs with unclear therapeutic alignment. Most studies focused on female patients with breast cancer. Cancer patients undergoing palliative care received little attention. The overall risk of bias from the evaluated studies was high. Meta-analysis of two trials revealed that DMTs had no effect on QOL in cancer patients (SMD − 0.09, 95% CI − 0.21–0.40, P = 0.54), while narrative analysis and non-randomized trials showed no overall effect of DMTs on anxiety, depression, body image, self-esteem, or sleep disturbance but significant positive effects on perceived stress, pain severity, and pain interference. DMIs had significant positive effects on cancer patients’ depression (SMD − 0.53, 95% CI − 0.93 to − 0.14, P = 0.008) and fatigue (SMD − 0.42, 95% CI − 0.70 to − 0.14, P = 0.003). DMI trials synthesized narratively showed an effect on patients’ body image, self-esteem, physical function, right and left handgrip strength, life satisfaction, and the mental component of QOL.

Conclusion
Both DMT and DMIs had promising effects on several health outcomes, but results were inconsistent, and the evidence was weak. The reviewed studies’ low evidence quality and small sample sizes affected the findings’ robustness and reliability. Large-scale, high-quality randomized controlled trials with sufficient sample sizes, and clear and veracious DMT and DMI protocols and data are required to provide more credible research evidence and influence practice.