How Turning to Music Helps During a Cancer Treatment
- Country music singer Toby Keith, 62, is offering his fans and fellow musicians some advice amid his ongoing journey with stomach cancer, saying practice and hard work is the key to success.
- Keith was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2021 and has remained largely sidelined since to focus on his health. In addition to surgery, he also underwent chemotherapy and immunotherapy to treat his cancer. His tumor has decreased in size since the start of his treatment.
- Music therapy is a resource cancer may patients turn to during treatment. Music therapy includes “creating, singing, moving, listening and/or relaxing” to the sounds of your favorite songs according to the National Cancer Institute.
- This form of therapy can help relieve depression, stress, anxiety, and pain.
- Remember, those battling battling cancer are encouraged to work on their emotional and mental health by focusing on the positive while on their cancer journeys. Sometimes your favorite activities bring you all the joy you need to boost your emotional health and help improve your overall prognosis.
The “Red Solo Cup” singer, who recently admitted stomach cancer surgery affected his diaphragm and how he sings, recently took to social media to offer “a little advice for all the songwriters out there.”
A little advice for all the songwriters out there… pic.twitter.com/5jyjEDives
Read More— Toby Keith (@tobykeith) January 19, 2024 He offered the advice in a video clip posted on both Keith’s Instagram and X account. The father of three and loving husband to his wife of nearly 40 years, Tricia Lucas, was seen wearing a Belmar baseball cap, sunglasses, and brown coat as he revealed some tips for successful songwriting.Keith said, “The most advice I have for songwriters would be just to just toll away every day. Most of my catalogue was written at a time when I was writing at least four or five days a week.
“So, you’ve got to have volume, you’ve got to have practice, and you’ve got to keep your chops up, and you’ve got to stay in the middle of the game.”
We’re delighted to see Keith sharing tips on how others can work hard and strive to achieve their goals as it’s something that aligns well with other aspects of life, like staying optimistic and motivated throughout a cancer journey.
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Keith heartfelt guidance was quickly greeted with praise from his fans, with one commenting on “X,” formerly known as Twitter, “I believe in everyones life there are moments of greatness, and moments of weakness. I cannot tell you how many times a song played through my mind, whether at work, or in the shower. It seems like we are always too busy to listen, too tired and sleeping.
“As I get older, my children get older, the music that use to speak to me is fewer, and farther between. There are so many great music artists, and so many incredible songs. I think in the end, it is important to find your own voice. Thank you Toby for being a patriot, thank you for all the great songs over the years. I wish you nothing but health and happiness moving forward. You were, and still are in my prayers. God Bless!”
Another fan wrote, “Yes T, great advice. Remember the quote, “a writer writes”. Stay well , God be with you.”
“Thank you for the years that you brought me through different songs different times different things I was going through happy sad just you being there with your music kept me going I cannot ever thank you enough your words with me today!” a third fan commented.
This wasn’t the first time Keith presented some direction to his fans about the ins and outs of songwriting. During the 2022 BMI Country Awards, when Keith received the BMI Icon Award,” the country superstar said, “If you want to be the best songwriter on the planet, you come here… you come to Nashville.
“These are the greatest songwriters in the world. And the only regret that I had, is that I never left Oklahoma. I would have probably made it at 21 or 22 instead of 28 or 29 had I not had been so hardheaded and just moved out here.”
He also admitted, “I didn’t know that I’d make it as an artist, but I knew if I wrote as good as the next guy, somebody might sing one of my songs. I got [to Nashville] with that in mind, and it just so worked out that I ended up with a vehicle that could deliver those songs.”
Keith’s Cancer Journey
Toby Keith has been battling stomach cancer since 2021. According to the National Cancer Institute, stomach or gastric cancer begins in the cells lining the stomach.
Since his diagnosis, Keith has undergone treatment, which includes chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and immunotherapy. Last summer, he revealed he’s been feeling pretty good and nearing the end of cancer treatments.
— Toby Keith (@tobykeith) June 12, 2022
After his diagnosis, he stepped away from the big stage to focus on his health. After nearly two years of battling the disease, the “Red Solo Cup” singer recently revealed he’s “feeling pretty good” in an interview with Country Now.
“Basically, everything is in a real positive trend. You never know with cancer, so you have to prepare,” the country singer continued.
His treatment has involved chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Chemotherapy involves cancer-killing drugs given to patients orally or intravenously. Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment method that uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells. We do not know what kind of chemo or immunotherapy he is undergoing for treatment currently.
By the fall of last year, Keith opened up about on a sports podcast about how he hopes his efforts in finding the best treatment will inspire others to do the same and possibly save lives
In a podcast episode titled “Conversations with Coach,” Keith talked about his stomach cancer journey, explaining, “I’m feeling pretty good. It’s a rollercoaster all the time with this stuff. I have the resources financially and otherwise to get the best treatments I can get.”
He continued, “They’re taking great care of me and I’m getting all the latest stuff you can get. In fact, I’m going to Florida to see another guy down there that’s got some other kind of treatments and I’m trying ’em all I’m throwing the kitchen sink at it.”
Based on Keith’s comments and pop-up performances throughout last year, the “Beer for My Horses” singer appears to be managing his treatments well. Side effects from chemotherapy and immunotherapy may include fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and loss of appetite — but they can be managed.
View this post on Instagram“The side effects of immunotherapy are not, quote, forever,” medical oncologist Dr. Anna Pavlick previously told SurvivorNet.
“Depending upon the severity depends upon how we manage it. Some patients will get diarrhea, and we can give them treatments to calm down their diarrhea, and it lasts a couple of days.”
How Turning to Music Can Help Cancer Patients
Creating and listening to music can be a powerful tool. Most people have felt the positive effects of a musical experience, but fewer people know there is actually science to back it up.
“Just listening to music activates more brain regions simultaneously than any other human activity,” Dr. Alexander Pantelyat, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins, previously told SurvivorNet.
New Evidence About The Healing Power of Music
Toby Keith’s reliance on continuing to perform amid the ups and downs of cancer treatment had added value more than making his fans happy to see him.
A study published last year in the journal Parkinson’s Disease researched the effects music had on the brain. It found music can help reduce anxiety for patients. Dr. Serap Bastepe-Gray, who co-founded the Johns Hopkins Center for Music and Medicine with Dr. Pantelyat, led the study.
“The guitar, which is portable, affordable, and one of the most popular instruments in the U.S., has potential as a motivational therapeutic tool both in the clinical and community settings,” Dr. Bastepe-Gray said.
Music therapy is a resource cancer patients turn to during treatment. Music therapy includes “creating, singing, moving, listening and/or relaxing” to the sounds of your favorite songs according to the National Cancer Institute.
This form of therapy can help relieve depression, stress, anxiety, and pain.
Pancreatic cancer survivor Joel Naftelberg can also attest to the power of music, as he found the support he needed from his music family.
Cancer Survivor Joel Naftelberg Learned to Dance on His Problems
“The people that were my heroes in entertainment and rock and roll have been my friends and have been some of the most supportive people that I’ve had in my life,” he told SurvivorNet.
Naftelberg describes his cancer as a “monster.” It’s “attacked every facet of [his] life,” but that doesn’t mean he’s let it get the best of him. Music has been his saving grace.
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“I have found music and rock and roll to be transformational,” Naftelberg said. “Doesn’t necessarily solve anything, but it does let us dance on our problems for at least an hour or two.
“Nothing better on a Friday afternoon than to hang with your friends and listen to beautiful music.”
Finding Joy Amid a Cancer Journey
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, remember to try not to let it define you. One way to do this is by finding things you enjoy and tapping into them. Many cancer patients often gain a refreshed outlook on life after a cancer diagnosis.
“We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” Dr. Dana Chase, a gynecologic oncologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, previously told SurvivorNet.
WATCH: Working on your emotional health can help you find joy in life
Dr. Chase advocates for cancer warriors to prioritize their mental health. She says finding activities that bring you joy is part of the journey to boost your overall mental health.
Sometimes the activities can be art, cooking, spending time with loved ones, pet therapy, or music. Based on recent social media posts featuring Keith he may be tapping into some of these joyful activities himself.
“If that’s related to what activities you do that bring you joy, then you should try to do more of those activities,” Dr. Chase adds.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you’re battling cancer or on the other side of it, and you’re struggling to find the joy in life, here are some questions you may consider asking your doctor to get the conversation started:
- What can I do if I’m struggling to be thankful for what I have in my life?
- Are there local resources for people wishing to improve their mental health?
- What else can I do to help reduce my stress level during my cancer journey?
- It’s difficult for me to find happiness and joy. How can I find help?
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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