I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with any sort of post treatment preventative therapy.

I'm off to M. D. Anderson bright and early tomarrow morning to start the process of joining a phase III study of post treatment adjuvant biologic therapy with the intent of preventing recurrence. The study consists of combining 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-cRA - Accutane), alpha-interferon (Rogeron) and vitamine E. They are going to run baseline blood work, chest xray and head and neck CT scan. Then they will randomize me either into the control group or the medication group. The study lasts one year.

I must admit to some misgivings about this. I have read the phase II study data for this drug combination and they have had pretty good results. The pase II data on the rate of recurrence and survival of the control group participants was pretty discouraging. My misgivings come from the possibility of being placed in the control group. And there are restictions that study participants are precluded from taking vitamine supplements of any kind. Additionally, some of the data they have provided says that high doses of 13-cRA alone is the only treatment that has been shown to prevent recurrence of head and neck cancer.

I am considering dropping out of the study if I am randomized into the control group and then I will request 13-cRA or perhaps the full study medication. After all science is a fine thing, but this is my life we're talking about.

I wanted to know if anyone has had any experience with these or similar drugs/therapies. I also would like to hear people's opinions specifically about the decision to participate in the study.

Thanks!

-Brett