Bone Mineral Density and Cancer Recurrence in Patients With Early Stage Prostate Cancer
Bone Mineral Density and Cancer Recurrence in Patients With Early Stage Prostate Cancer
RATIONALE: Measuring bone mineral density may help doctors predict whether prostate cancer
 will come back. It may also help the study of prostate cancer in the future.

 PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying whether bone mineral density affects cancer
 recurrence in patients with early stage prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVES:

 -  Determine bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with clinically significant early stage
 prostate cancer.

 -  Determine whether patients who have a higher level of BMD and have had a radical
 prostatectomy for cure are less likely to have an early relapse (i.e., less than 3
 years) than those patients with a low level of BMD.

 OUTLINE: This is a case-controlled study followed by a prospective, longitudinal, cohort
 study.

 Patients undergo bone mineral density (BMD) measurements by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry
 with a densitometer. Posteroanterior measurements of the total hip are also recorded.

 Patients also undergo blood collection to examine markers that provide evidence of systemic
 disease.

 Patients are followed every 6 months for 3 years.

 PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 40 patients will be accrued for this study.
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

 -  Biopsy-confirmed early stage prostate cancer

 -  Disease localized within the capsule

 -  No evidence of regional or distant spread (i.e., T1-2, N0, M0 disease)

 -  A cohort of patients must have undergone a prior radical prostatectomy

 -  Prostate specific antigen < 12 ng/mL

 -  Gleason score ≥ 6

 PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

 -  Creatinine clearance ≤ 2.0 mg/dL

 -  No Paget's disease

 -  No hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism

 -  No Cushing's disease

 -  No chronic liver disease

 -  No major health problems that would cause a significant reduction in mobility or
 activities of daily living

 PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

 -  See Disease Characteristics

 -  No prior bisphosphonates, thyroxin, or calcitonin

 -  No prior agents that suppress PSA levels (e.g., finasteride)

 -  No prior androgen or estrogen therapy

 -  More than 12 months since prior glucocorticoids

 -  More than 12 months since prior herbal supplements that are known to lower PSA levels