Musical prostates

Having a digital prostate examination is no laughing matter, and having a biopsy done on your prostate takes things to a whole other level. New research however, has shown that a little headphone music might ease things a bit.

If prostate cancer is suspected the only way to truly confirm it is via examining small amounts of prostate tissue collected by biopsies, using an ultrasound probe in the rectum. A transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) biopsy of the prostate gland uses ultrasound to outline the prostate and guides the placement of needles used for obtaining cores of prostate tissue. The needle is spring-loaded and has an audible trigger. A TRUS biopsy collects tissue from several areas of the prostate gland which are then examined to confirm the presence of prostate cancer. The biopsy can be performed under local anaesthetic, but a general anaesthetic or sedative can also be used.

A degree of discomfort can be felt a local anaesthetic and with or without a general there is understandable anxiety about the procedure itself as well as the outcome. All in all, prostate biopsies do not rank among the “little comforts” of life.

To see whether music might serve as a distraction and make the whole process easier, researchers from Duke University divided men receiving prostate biopsies into three groups. One group had no headphones during the procedure, one had noise cancelling headphones but no music, while a third group listened to Bach concertos.

Using blood pressure as a measure of anxiety, the researchers found that among the group who listened to no music their blood pressure was still elevated after the biopsy. The men who listened to Bach through their headphones however, had no such spike in their blood pressure and presumably therefore experienced less anxiety overall.

It would seem then that the adage is true; music hath powers to soothe the savaged prostate, especially if you listen to a “Bach passage” concerto.