Vitamin E Supplements in Treating Patients Undergoing Surgery for Colorectal Cancer

RATIONALE: Vitamin E may help prevent the development of cancer. Studying samples of tissue from patients with colorectal cancer who receive Vitamin E before undergoing surgery in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about how Vitamin E changes biomarkers related to colorectal cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized early phase I trial is studying giving vitamin E supplements to see how it affects biomarkers in patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer.