Isotretinoin, Interferon Alfa, and Vitamin E in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Head and Neck Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
• * Primary site must be within the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, or hypopharynx
• * Stage III or IV primary lesion at diagnosis
• * No distant metastatic disease at diagnosis
• * No multiple primary lesions
• Currently disease-free after treatment with 1 of the following:
• * Complete tumor resection
• * Radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy alone\*
• * Resection followed by radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy\*
• No more than 4-16 weeks since prior surgery and/or radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy NOTE: \*Radiotherapy must have been 70-72 Gy in 1.8-2.0 Gy fractions to the primary tumor and clinically positive neck nodes and 44-50 Gy in 1.8-2.0 Gy fractions to clinically negative nodes, including the lower neck
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• AST and ALT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 1.2 mg/dL
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception for 1 month prior to, during, and for 1 month after study therapy
• Electrolytes normal
• Fasting serum triglyceride level no greater than 2 times ULN (anti-triglyceride medication allowed)
• No other malignancy within the past 2 years except localized basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
• No other concurrent medical condition that would preclude study compliance
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered
• * Prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy allowed
• * Prior chemotherapy administered concurrently with radiotherapy allowed
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior radiotherapy
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior surgery
• Other
• No history of megadose vitamin A (more than 25,000 I.U.)
• No other clinical trial enrollment that would preclude adjuvant systemic therapy
• No concurrent vitamin supplements containing vitamin A