"I am glad that taking part in a trial might help others on their own cancer journey.”
A study looking at choir singing as a way to improve people’s wellbeing
Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.
Cancer type:
Bowel (colorectal) cancer
Breast cancer
Prostate cancer
Status:
Closed
Phase:
Other
This study is for people with breast, bowel (colorectal) or prostate cancer as well as people who have been affected by cancer in some way.
More about this trial
When you have cancer, you might have problems related to both the cancer and its treatment. This can impact on your personal wellbeing.
We know from research that singing can:
- improve your mood
- reduce the amount of stress
hormones 
- improve your
immune system
Researchers in this study want to find out if singing in a choir can improve the wellbeing of people with breast, bowel and prostate cancer. Researchers are also looking for people who:
- look after someone with cancer
- have lost a relative or someone they looked after because of cancer
- are hospital staff
- have been affected by cancer in some way
Everyone taking part will meet to sing in a choir either in Fulham (central London) or Sutton (Surrey). But if you live too far away or can’t come to the meetings, you can still take part in this study (without doing any singing).
The main aim of this study is to find out if choir singing can improve the wellbeing of people with breast, bowel and prostate cancer as well as people who have been affected by cancer in some way.
Who can enter
The following bullet points list the entry conditions for this study. Talk to the study team if you are unsure about any of these. They will be able to advise you.
You may be able to join this study if you are more than 18 years old and at least 1 of the following apply. You:
- Have been diagnosed with stage 1 to 3 breast cancer less than 2 years ago
- Have prostate cancer and you are on active surveillance
- Have been diagnosed with stage 1 to 3 bowel cancer less than 2 years ago
- Look after someone who has cancer
- Have lost a relative or someone you looked after because of cancer in the past 3 years
- Have been affected by cancer in some way
You cannot join this study if any of these apply:
- You are part of a choir and sing with them weekly
- You have had psychological treatment in the past month or you are going to have treatment in the next 3 months
- You have started a new drug to help with depression or anxiety in the past month
As well as the above you mustn’t have any of the following if you have breast, prostate or bowel cancer:
- You are having chemotherapy or radiotherapy
- You have had chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery in the past 90 days (3 months)
- You are going to have surgery in the next 12 weeks
- You have an
autoimmune disease such as lupus - You take drugs that damp down your immune system (immunosuppressants) such as steroids
- You are pregnant
Trial design
Researchers hope that around 420 people from the UK will take part.
You have a choir meeting every week. This will last about 1 hour each time. You have up to 12 meetings. After this you can continue in the choir for free if you want to.
You don’t need to have experience in singing or know how to read music to take part.
If you can’t go to the choir meetings, you can take part in the . This means you only complete questionnaires and give saliva (spit) samples.
Questionnaires
Everyone completes a questionnaire after 1 week of starting in the study and then after:
- 6 weeks
- 12 weeks
- 24 weeks (about 6 months)
The questionnaire asks about how you are, the problems you might have and how you deal with them.
The study team will send the questionnaire to your home or you can complete them online.
Saliva (spit) samples
The study team might ask you to give saliva samples if you have breast, prostate or bowel cancer. Researchers want to look for certain proteins and the amount of stress hormones in your body.
You give a saliva sample after 1 week of starting in the study and then after:
- 6 weeks
- 12 weeks
- 24 weeks (about 6 months)
You give the saliva samples before the choir meetings, or you can do them at home. You can then either bring the samples back to the study team or they can collect them from you.
Focus group
Everyone is invited to a meeting (a focus group) after taking part in this study.
During the meeting the study team asks about how you feel and if taking part in the choir has helped you to improve your wellbeing.
You don’t have to agree to take part in this meeting you don’t want to. You can still take part in this study.
Hospital visits
You do not have any hospital visits as part of this study.
Side effects
There are no side effects from taking part in this study. If you don’t enjoy the choir, you can stop going at any time.
Recruitment start:
Recruitment end:
How to join a clinical trial
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.
Chief Investigator
Dr Daisy Fancourt
Supported by
London Cancer Alliance (LCA)
Royal College of Music London
Imperial College London
The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR)
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Questions about cancer? Contact our information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
Last review date
CRUK internal database number:
13806
Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.
Cara took part in a clinical trial
Last reviewed:
About Cancer generously supported by
Dangoor Education since 2010.
Dangoor Education since 2010.