One of the possible reasons for the switch is a current clinical trial (RTOG 1016) that is comparing the two different treatment ideas, and we have over 100 hospitals currently enrolling patients in the trial. OCF and the NCI are both co-funders with the James Cancer Center of this trial. Personally, OCF agreed to be part of this trial to support our long term research Partner Dr. Gillison. Our portion of it is to provide 100 iPads to patients who will fill out a long questionnaire about the experience as part of the study. This has not been done much before, as trials focus on clinical outcomes, and less on the crap we all have to go through, and our quality of life. I saw this as an ideal opportunity for OCF to develop relationships with all the institutions that are art of the trial, and gather a more obtuse kind of information. (Your donations to OCF at work. OCF contributes to more research than any other H&N organization. Having said that, we NEVER fund esoteric cancer studies. There has to be a tangible, immediately applicable, piece of information that can alter things for patients at a trials' end for us to chip in. )

But doctors around the country are trying to fill the trial, and may be pushing people towards a particular arm of it. PM me and I will tell you what I think about this as a non doctor, patient advocate, that has an inside track. I think if you read Charm's post you have already gotten my take on some of this. But until the trial is done in huge numbers, we won't know for sure.