Cynthia Cherish Malaran once had dance floors shaking across MTV events and Lincoln Centre galas. Her rhythmic selections, pulsing basslines, and electrifying remixes gave revellers a reason to forget their stress, at least for a night. But Malaran never imagined that one day, music would do far more than move her feet; it would save her spirit.
“I never — even in my career as a DJ — thought of music for my healing, until I needed it,” she says.
That moment came like a thunderclap. At 39, Malaran was diagnosed with breast cancer. What followed was a swirl of chemotherapy, surgery, and then a hopeful prescription of Herceptin — the so-called “miracle drug” tailored to her cancer type. But the promise of Herceptin faded fast. Malaran was allergic. No alternatives existed.
Devastated, she turned to her oncologist with a plea: “What should I do?”
The answer? Not another drug. Not another surgery. Just two words: “Be happy.”
The Science Behind the Sound: Music Therapy as Medicine
To the uninitiated, “be happy” might sound dismissive — even naive. But to those who’ve experienced the therapeutic magic of melody, it’s powerful advice. And now, science backs it up. A groundbreaking study conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology confirms what patients like Malaran have long felt in their bones: music therapy can rival cognitive behavioural therapy in helping cancer patients manage emotional distress, anxiety, and even physical symptoms.
Over seven weeks, participants in MSKCC’s “Melody Study” engaged in a hybrid therapy combining talk, lyric writing, improvisation, and live performance — all under the guidance of trained music therapists. Some created entire compositions, others just hummed along, allowing sound to serve where words fell short. “There was a time period when these were viewed as kind of outside the mainstream,” says Dr. Kevin Liou, the lead researcher and an integrative medicine specialist at MSKCC. “Now, we’re seeing how vital therapies like music can be in the bigger picture of healing.”
Soundtrack of Survival: From Side Effects to Soul Repair
Malaran joined the Melody Study during her treatment hiatus. With no miracle drug in her system, music became her anchor.
“Picture yourself feeling unwell and someone is serenading you — just you — and how much better you feel because you’re being seen and cared for that way,” she reflects.
In those intimate sessions, she scribbled lyrics, explored melodies, or simply allowed herself to hum — a quiet act of self-soothing that she continues today. “I don’t even sing for fun. But humming is something I still do even today — years after those sessions — as a way to regulate my stress and bring my nervous system back to level ground and to relax.”
Music therapy gave Malaran more than a coping mechanism; it gave her back her agency. Through the act of creation, she reclaimed a narrative that cancer had tried to steal. “Creating something beautiful coming from my cancer is like the ultimate way for me to heal.”
From Margins to Mainstream: A New Era in Cancer Support
As cancer survival rates climb, the number of people living through and beyond the disease now surpasses 18 million in the U.S. alone, per the American Cancer Society. And while medicine continues to evolve, the needs of survivors stretch far beyond surgery and pills.
Dr. Liou sees music therapy not as an alternative, but as part of a wider spectrum of care — one that includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, and other integrative practices. “We want to have a wide range of tools so that we can better personalise treatments for people.”
His next research focus is understanding which patients might benefit most from music therapy. Some may thrive through lyricism and melody, while others may find solace in silence. But the point is choice and the power of personalisation in treatment.
More than a decade into remission, Cynthia Cherish Malaran’s cancer battle may be behind her, but her healing soundtrack plays on.
“It happened just the other day,” she says. “I felt worries creep in, and then the vibrations calmed me.”
In an era when clinical treatments are often measured by milligrams and side effects, Malaran’s story reminds us of the medicine that lives in moments: a note that resonates, a lyric that lands, a hum that heals.
So if you ever find yourself lost in the chaos of illness or uncertainty, consider this prescription: Press play.