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CancerMeraki_CancerNCT06345924

Music Therapy for Cancer Patients(Meraki_PC)

A study testing MERAKI_PC in people with Cancer and Palliative Care, run by University of Valencia at 1 site in Spain.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The overall aim of the study is to analyse the impact of a music therapy-based treatment on the emotional well-being and quality of life of cancer patients in palliative care (PC). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Cancer, Palliative Care
What is being tested?
MERAKI_PC
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
80 participants
Where
1 siteSpain
Study dates
1 Mar 2024to 31 Jul 2025
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • The patient is receiving palliative care for an oncological diagnosis and was admitted to the hospital a week ago. They do not have moderate to severe cognitive impairment. This treatment is for oncological patients in an advanced stage who are receiving palliative anti-tumour treatment such as chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. These patients require support treatment that cannot be provided at home due to their complexity. The patient is in an advanced or terminal phase of the disease according to WHO criteria.
  • Be over 18 years of age.
  • Have preserved cognitive ability (SPMSQ, Pfeiffer). More than 2 errors (3 in illiterate persons) would suggest the presence of cognitive impairment.
  • Have signed the informed consent form
  • Have completed at least 2 of the 3 treatment sessions and have completed the pre-test and post-test assessment.

Who cannot join

  • -Estimated survival time. Patients with a life expectancy of two weeks or less shall not be operated on.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Spain1 site

  • Hospital Dr. Moliner

    Serra, Valencia

Other trials in Spain

About this study

Official title: Meraki: Music Therapy Protocol for People With Palliative Care

The overall aim of the study is to analyse the impact of a music therapy-based treatment on the emotional well-being and quality of life of cancer patients in palliative care (PC). To this end, the effectiveness and efficiency of a music therapy-based treatment to improve adaptation to illness and psychological well-being in this population will be validated and implemented.

Specifically, the implementation of an individualised treatment programme for palliative care patients will be carried out.

Being tested
MERAKI_PC
Keywords
cancer, psychological intervention, palliative care, music therapy-based treatment
Medical subject headings
Neoplasms

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • MERAKI_PCBehavioural

    The three music therapy sessions focus on helping the patient to adjust to their situation. The aim is to provide emotional support and encourage communication between family members through music. In addition, the therapy will help the patient to appreciate their remaining abilities and encourage their involvement in the rehabilitation process. The second session focuses on living in the present through re-identification. The session aims to improve the symptoms associated with the illness by focusing on the present situation and encouraging expression.

    The main aim of the final session, 'The Journey of Life - Leaving a Mark', is to recapitulate and provide support.

    Songs are used during the session, taking into account musical preferences.

Study groups in NCT06345924
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Control GroupNo interventionPatients who receive the treatment program, will previously constitute their own control group (waiting list control group).
Experimental groupExperimentalThe study will commence with an initial evaluation (T1) one week after the patients' admission to the hospital. After an equal amount of time has passed without receiving any treatment, patients will undergo a re-evaluation (T2). Subsequently, patients will receive the music therapy treatment protocol, which consists of three sessions. Finally, patients will undergo a third evaluation (T3) after completing the treatment. Patients will undergo assessment before and after each music therapy session. Before the session, they will report their physical and emotional state, as well as their memory of the previous session's effects. After the session, they will be evaluated on their physical and emotional state, as well as the perceived effects of the current session. The therapy will consist of three individual sessions.
Receives: Behavioral: MERAKI_PC

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Anxiety and Depression Symptomatology (T1, T2 and T4)

    HADS: This instrument evaluates affective disorders in non-psychiatric hospital settings. It comprises 14 items with a 4-point Likert-type response format (ranging from 0 to 3). Higher scores indicate more severe symptoms of anxiety and depression.

    Measured: Baseline up to 1 month

  2. Change in Quality of Life (T1, T2 and T4)

    EORTC QLQ-C30. It is the most widely used quality of life questionnaire in clinical trials in Europe. It is a cancer-specific questionnaire consisting of 30 items assessing quality of life. Higher scores indicate poorer quality of life for patients.

    Measured: Baseline up to 1 month

  3. Change in emotional distress (T1, T2, T3 and T4)

    The patient's overall rating of emotional distress (distress) experienced can be measured using a single-item visual analogue scale that scores from 0 to 10.

    Measured: Baseline up to 1 month

Secondary outcomes (7)

  1. Change in Social Suport (T1 and T4)

    MOS: is the most appropriate instrument available in daily practice to study and evaluate social suport. By means of 20 items, it provides information on the emotional, instrumental, affective and positive social interaction dimensions, as well as offering an overall index of social support. A higher score indicates more social support.

    Measured: Baseline up to 1 month

  2. Change in Resilience (T1 and T4)

    Brief Resilient Coping Scale. This is a 4-item scale adapted to the Spanish context. Each item is scored on a 5-point scale, from 1 ("strongly agree") to 5 ("strongly disagree"). Higher scores reflect greater resilience.

    Measured: Baseline up to 1 month

  3. Change in Spirituality (T1 and T4)

    GES questionnaire: this instrument is composed of 6 open-ended questions designed to facilitate trust and disclosure of the patient, his biography and inner world, followed by 8 items assessing spirituality as a general factor through 3 spiritual dimensions: intrapersonal, interpersonal and transpersonal. The patient responds by indicating the extent to which they identify with the items, with answers ranging from 0 (indicating 'not at all') to 4 (indicating 'very much'). A higher score indicates a greater feeling of spirituality.

    Measured: Baseline up to 1 month

  4. Change Knowledge of the disease (T1 and T4)

    Clinician's assessment of the degree of acceptance, understanding, response difficulties and perception of the potential benefits of the application of the tool to patients.

    Measured: Baseline up to 1 month

  5. Barthel Index

    The purpose of this assessment is to evaluate the patient's functional independence. It involves assessing their ability to perform 10 activities of daily living, including eating, washing, dressing, grooming, bowel movements, urination, toileting, transferring, ambulation, and stair use. The scores range from 0, indicating maximum dependence, to 100, indicating maximum independence.

    Measured: Baseline

  6. Pfeiffer Short Form Mental State Questionnaire, SPMSQ

    This assessment evaluates cognitive impairment through a series of 10 questions that explore orientation, remote and working memory, as well as calculation skills. Each incorrectly answered question adds one point, and more than 2 errors suggest the presence of cognitive impairment that requires further study.

    Measured: Baseline

  7. Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI)

    This tool predicts the one-year mortality rate for patients with various comorbid conditions, including heart disease, AIDS, and cancer (a total of 8 conditions in the short version). The measure assigns a score to each condition based on the associated risk of death. A score of 0 to 1 indicates no comorbidity, 2 points indicates low comorbidity, and 3 points or more indicates high comorbidity. The total score predicts mortality.

    Measured: Baseline

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted3 Apr 2024
  2. Study start1 Mar 2024
  3. Primary completion31 Jul 2025
  4. Study completion31 Jul 2025

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
80 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06345924
Sponsor's protocol ID
Meraki_Palliative Care
Acronym
Meraki_Cancer
Status last verified
May 2026
First submitted
28 Mar 2024
Last updated
18 May 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing MERAKI_PC in people with Cancer and Palliative Care, run by University of Valencia at 1 site in Spain.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Spain. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Anxiety and Depression Symptomatology (T1, T2 and T4) (time frame: Baseline up to 1 month). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06345924.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 18 May 2026.

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