Vitamin E in Preventing Peripheral Neuropathy Caused by Chemotherapy in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy for Cancer

You may be eligible if

• Required Characteristics:
• 1. Scheduled to undergo curative-intent adjuvant treatment with neurotoxic chemotherapy. Patients must have had his/her tumor removed, but may have microscopic residual disease, or residual margin involvement and still be eligible.
• The patient's chemotherapy regimen must include one or more of the following neurotoxic chemotherapeutic agents: taxanes (paclitaxel, docetaxel); platinum compounds (cisplatin, carboplatin, oxaliplatin)-(oxaliplatin patients should preferentially be enrolled in protocol N04C7 while it is available).
• 2. ≥ 18 years of age
• 3. Ability to sign informed consent and understand the nature of a placebo-controlled trial
• 4. ECOG Performance Status (PS) of 0, 1, or 2 e.g.
• 5. Ability to complete questionnaire(s) by themselves or with assistance
• 6. Life expectancy ≥ 6 months
• Contraindications:
• 1. Undergoing chemotherapy for palliative care
• 2. Pre-existing history of peripheral neuropathy due to any cause (diabetes, alcohol, toxin, hereditary, etc).
• 3. Prior treatment with neurotoxic chemotherapy (exception: Patient started neurotoxic chemotherapy ≤ 4 days of starting vitamin E on this study and has not been treated previously with other neurotoxic chemotherapy agents).
• 4. Taking regular opioid-containing medications. (Exception: opioids, given for the short term treatment of chemotherapy-induced myalgias or arthralgias caused by taxanes are permitted.)
• 5. Concurrent treatment with anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or other neuropathic pain medications agents such as carbamazepine, phenytoin, valproic acid, gabapentin, lamotrigine, topical lidocaine patch, capsaicin cream, etc.
• 6. History of coronary artery disease (i.e. MI, PTCA, or CABG ≤ 5 years or diagnosis of congestive heart failure of any NY heart class I-IV) Valve replacements are permitted as long as patient has fully recovered from the surgery.
• 7. Other medical conditions, which in the opinion of the treating physician/allied health professional would make this protocol unreasonably hazardous for the patient.
• 8. Vitamin E supplementation for any reason ≤ 7 days prior to randomization. (Exception:
• one multivitamin per day that contains ≤ 100 IU \[mg\] of Vitamin E, will be permitted.)
• 9. Any of the following: pregnant women, nursing women and men or women of childbearing potential who are unwilling to employ adequate contraception
• 10. Taking anticoagulant medication (i.e. coumadin, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), or platelet aggregation inhibitors such as clopidgrel or aspirin) with the exception that 1 mg/day of coumadin for central line maintenance is allowed.
• 11. Diagnosed diabetes requiring insulin or oral hypoglycemic medications
• 12. Head or neck cancers
• 13. Scheduled to undergo radiation therapy while on study
• 14. History of hemorrhagic stroke
• 15. Patients receiving neo-adjuvant therapy