Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Clinical indicators consistent with the community standards of medical care that
would justify a biopsy of the prostate for the diagnosis of cancer, including ≥ 1 of
the following:

- PSA level above the absolute value of 4 ng/mL or above a published age-ethnic
adjusted PSA level appropriate for the community

- Rising PSA that should represent a clinically significant PSA velocity (e.g., an
estimated annual change in the PSA velocity ≥ 0.75 ng/mL)

- Abnormal digital rectal examination of the prostate that identifies a clinically
significant change in the prostate (e.g., a prostate nodule or a change in the
firmness of the prostate)

- Documentation of the clinical assessment that justified the prostate biopsy that
allows classification of the patient to high-risk groups

- Prostate biopsy negative for cancer within the past 12 months

- Prostate biopsy negative for high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN)

- PIN allowed provided it is grade 1

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Creatinine < 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Bilirubin < 2 times ULN

- SGOT and SGPT < 2 times ULN

- Alkaline phosphatase < 2 times ULN

- No history of a prior malignancy except for the following:

- Adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma

- Adequately treated (i.e., complete surgical removal with negative margins) stage
I cancer from which the patient is currently in complete remission

- Any other cancer from which the patient has been disease-free for 5 years

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics

- No prior systemic chemotherapy or radiotherapy

- At least 90 days since prior and no other concurrent selenium > 55 μg/day as a
dietary supplement (including multivitamin supplements)

- More than 30 days since prior and no concurrent participation in any other clinical
trial involving a medical, surgical, nutritional, or life-style intervention (e.g.,
dietary modifications, exercise)