Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Unaffected brother or first-degree cousin of a young (under age 70) prostate cancer
proband with a family history (two or more first-degree relatives) of prostate cancer

- No prior non-localized prostate cancer or previously diagnosed premalignant prostate
disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 35 to 70

Performance status:

- SWOG 0-1 OR

- Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy:

- At least 5 years

Hematopoietic:

- Hematocrit at least 35%

- WBC at least 4,000/mm^3 with normal differential

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL

- SGOT or SGPT less than 2 times normal

Renal:

- Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL

- Less than 1+ protein, 0-3 casts, and 0-5 WBCs and RBCs in urine

Gastrointestinal:

- No medically mandated special diet that would preclude compliance with study
participation

- No documented or symptomatic gastric or duodenal ulcer disease within the past year

Other:

- No severe metabolic disorders or other life-threatening acute or chronic disease

- No other invasive cancer within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer

- No predisposition to difficulties with wound healing or repair

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- Not specified

Chemotherapy:

- No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

- At least 3 months since prior finasteride

Radiotherapy:

- No prior radiotherapy to pelvic area

- No concurrent x-rays

Surgery:

- Not specified

Other:

- At least 3 months since prior chemoprevention agents

- No aspirin or aspirin-containing products within 10 days prior to each study biopsy

- No concurrent anticoagulants