Apollo Proton Cancer Centre’s AI- Based M usic Therapy Eases Chemotherapy for Can cer Patients
~ A unique mind-body intervention to help reduce stress, anxiety, and pain among ch .emotherapy patients ~
Chennai, February 28, 2025: Apollo Pro ton Cancer Centre (APCC), in collaboration with Digi Nxt Hlt Solutions (P) Ltd, ha as unveile d South Asia’s First Artificial Intelligence ba sed Music Therapy under the ‘Echo Care’ pr oduct range. The pioneering Music Study (Music Intervention for Cancer Care) marks a significant milestone in leveraging Al driv en personalized soundscapes to enhance t he quality of life for cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy.
The groundbreaking MUSIC Study was un veiled by renowned vocalist and singer, Pa dma Bhushan & recipient of Sangita Kalani dhi, Srimathi SudhaRagunathan, along with Dr. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairper son, Apollo Hospitals Ente rprise Limited (AHEL), Ms Sujatha Viswe swara CEO & Co-Founder, Echo Care, The Digi Nxt Hlt Soluti ons (P) Ltd, and Dr. Sujith Kumar Mullapall pally, Consultant Medical Oncology, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC).
Speaking at the launch event, Padma Bhus shan Srimathi Sudha Ragunathan, emphasi zed the deep connection between music an d healing. She said, “Music has al ways be en a powerful medium of expression, wher ere people find solace. It has th e power to soothe, to heal, and to uplift. I am honoured to be a part of this initiative that brings mu sic therapy to cancer patients. The MUSIC Study is a remarkable step in integrating m usic with medical science to aid cancer pa tients in t heir healing journey. It is hearten ening to s ee Apollo Proton Cancer Centre e mbrac cing such innovation for holistic pat ient care.”
The MUSICC Study is a first-of-its-kind init iative that uses personalized frequency mo dulated soundscapes recommend ed by an advanced AI engine to improve the well bei ng of cancer patients. The prospective pilot study, conducted by Dr. Sujith Kumar Mulla pally and his team at APCC, successfully te ested the impact of AI-curated music thera py in the oncolog ogy day-care setting. Ove r 50 patients were observed during chemot herapy sessions, and the results revealed a notable improvement in their quality of life, demonstrating the potential of music as a complementary therapeutic intervention in cancer care.
It is one of its kind and unique as it is foc used on rendering personalised frequency-moderated soundscapes to patients under going chemotherapy at Apollo Proton Can cer Centre. These soundscapes are recom mended by AI engine based on multi-class neural networks. It can self-learn and also learns continuously from patients’ usage an d interactions.
Dr. Sujith Kumar Mullapally, Consultant med ical Oncology, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, Chennai, who led the study, shared insights on its impact. He said, “C ancer treatment is often physically and emotionally exhausti ng for patients and their caregivers. Throug h the MUSIC Study, we aimed to explore the potential of AI-driven music therapy in alle viating stress, anxiety and improving qual ity of life. Our study revealed better overall tr reatment experience and reduced anxie xiety with the use of AI-driven music. This study, thus is a significant step towards int egrating non-pharmacological holistic mea sures like music into convention al cancer care worldwide.”
The study, approved by the Apollo Ethic s Committee and the CTRI (Clinical Trials Re gistry), demonstrated meaningful improve ments in anxiety and depression levels as measured by HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and FACT G-7 assessme nts.
Dr. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chair per son, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited, e mphasized “At Apollo Proton Cancer Centre tre, we are not only pushing the boundaries of medical advancements but also reimagin ing the way we care for patients. The MUSI C Study is a testament to our dedication to wards holistic heali ling and combining the precision of AI with the universal language of music to enhance the lives of those und ergoing cancer treatment.”
As a leading institution in advanced can cer treatment, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre con tinues to integrate cutting-edg e technology with compassionate care.
The AI-powered echo care system is ded 7 uh sig ned to make j music recommend at 9ions using multi-class neural networks th at continuously learn from patient interacti ctions. The system seamlessly integrates with in with standard cancer care, offering a unique mind-body intervention to help redu ce stress, anxiety, and pain perception amo ng chemotherapy patients.
Photo Caption: Left to Right : Dr. Sujith Ku mar Mullapally, Consultant – Medical Onco logy, Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC). , Dr. Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairpe rson, Apollo Hospitals Ente erprise Limited (AHEL), Padma Bhushan & recipient of San gita Kalanidhi, Srimat hi Sudha Ragunathan, Dr. Rakesh Jalai, Medical Director & Lead N euro oncolo gy, Apollo Proton Cancer Centr e, Chenn ai seen along with Ms Sujatha Vis weswara CEO & Co-Founder, Echo Care, The Di giNxtHlt Solutions (P) Ltd, and Mr. Kara n Puri, CEO , Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, ch ennaiApollo Proton Cancer Centre’s AI- Bas ed Music Therapy.
Ms Sujatha Visweswara CEO & Cofound er, Echo Care, The DigiNxtHlt Solut ions (P) Lt d, said, “The fusion of AI and digit al health care is revolutionizing patient 8 nt care. Ech o Care’s AI-driven sounds capes exemplify how advanced analytic ics and machine le arning can create personalized healing ex periences. Recently tested under Dr. Sujith ‘s guidance at Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, echo care mar ks a paradigm shift in cancer care, wher e technology supports treatment and e motional well-being. We believe AI-based interventions like this will set a new standard in integrative healing, making can cer care more humane and effective .”
Echo Care is an AI-driven digital healthc are solution designed to provide personalized soundscape therapy. It employs a dvanced multi-class neural networks to assess pat ient conditions and recommend curated the rapeutic music. The syst em evolves throu gh continuous self-learning, ensuring an ad aptive and evolving music therapy experien ce tailored to each patient’s needs. It is a co llection of massive quantum data structure s, akin to multi class neural networks in a h uma man brain.
Unlike conventional music therapy, Echo Ca re Soundscape is a propriety and built-in ‘ec ho labs’ rendered at a particular frequency with design guided by neuro musicologstics and clinical psychologist class . It is uniqu ely designed to elicit therapeutic benefits driven by AI technology and available on de mand and specific to individual patients ba sed on their condition for improved quality of life.
The successful implementation of this A I-based music therapy program reinforces Apollo Proton Cancer Centres’ posit 44 tion as a pioneer in comprehensive cance 5r ca re, combining advanced treatñment moda lities with innovative supportive care soluti ons to enhance patient outcomes and expe rience.
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About Apollo Proton Cancer Centre (APCC), Chennai, India:
Apollo Proton Cancer Centre is the most ad vanced Cancer Centre and the first Proto n Therapy Centre in South Asia & the Middle East and India’s first JCI-accredited Cancer hospital. It is the country’s first hospital to have proton beam therapy in clinical opera tion. At the be drock of APCC’s approach to treating cancer is its robust multi-disciplina ry platform; highly skilled professionals wh o come together to form a Cancer Manage ment Team (CMT). Each CMT is focused on delivering the best possible outcomes for its patients. An added feather in the cap is the launch of India’s first & only site specfic Robotic Oncology Program.