The purpose of this study is to find out if vitamin E can help treat prostate cancer. Vitamin E acts primarily as an anti-oxidant. By decreasing the oxidation in the cancer cell, the tumor cells may die. Vitamin E is a commonly used vitamin that has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in this type of cancer or for any known cancer.

- Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in American men. It is estimated that nearly 235,000 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and nearly 27,000 men will die of prostate cancer in 2006 (Ries, 2006). The treatment of localized prostate cancer includes surgery, radiation therapy, or watchful waiting. The relative benefits of these approaches is unclear and treatment choices are individualized and often patient driven. Approximately 150 prostatectomies are performed at UNM and the Albuquerque NM VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM annually. A further 50 brachytherapies are performed at UNM. There is currently no proven benefit to receiving preoperative hormonal therapy for patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. As opposed to patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy, for patients undergoing brachytherapy pre treatment hormonal therapy is used in ~40% of patients. Thus, these patients offer a unique opportunity to test novel agents in the neoadjuvant setting.

- Vitamin E

The term vitamin E was introduced by Evans and Bishop to describe a dietary factor important for reproduction in rats (Evans, 1922). Natural vitamin E includes two groups of closely related fat-soluble compounds, the tocopherols and tocotrienols, each with the four , ß, , and analogs. The eight analogous compounds are widely distributed in nature; rich, natural sources of vitamin E are edible plant oils. Sunflower seeds contain almost exclusively -tocopherol, oil from soybeans contains the -, -, and -tocopherol, and palm oil contains high concentrations of tocotrienols and -tocopherol (Bauernfeind,1980). Although the antioxidant property of these molecules is similar, distinct biological effects can be distinguished at a molecular level. Vitamin E is the major hydrophobic chain-breaking antioxidant that prevents the propagation of free radical reactions in the lipid components of membranes, vacuoles and plasma lipoproteins.

As an antioxidant, vitamin E acts in cell membranes where it prevents the propagation of free radical reactions. Non-radical oxidation products are formed by the reaction between alpha-tocopheryl radical and other free radicals, which are conjugated to glucuronic acid and excreted through the bile or urine. Vitamin E is transported in plasma lipoproteins.

Most studies of the safety of vitamin E supplementation have lasted for several months or less, so there is little evidence for the long-term safety of vitamin E supplementation. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine has set an upper tolerable intake level (UL) for vitamin E at 1,000 mg (1,500 IU) for any form of supplementary alpha-tocopherol per day. Based for the most part on the result of animal studies, the Food and Nutrition Board decided that because vitamin E can act as an anticoagulant and may increase the risk of bleeding problems this is the highest dose unlikely to result in bleeding problems (http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamine.asp).

The dose of vitamin E used in the Selenium and vitamin E prostate cancer prevention trial (the SELECT trial) was 400 IU per day and thus this is the dose chosen for this study.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed prostate cancer.
2. Patients must have localized prostate cancer and have decided to undergo a prostatectomy or brachytherapy.
3. Patient must not be taking supplemental vitamin E.
4. Age >18 years.
5. Life expectancy of greater than 6 months.
6. ECOG performance status =< 2.

7. Patients must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below:

   • leukocytes >= 3,000/mcL
   • absolute neutrophil count >=1,500/mcL
   • platelets >=100,000/mcL
   • total bilirubin within normal institutional limits
   • AST/ALT =< 2.5 X institutional upper limit of normal
   • creatinine =< 1.5 X normal institutional upper limit of normal
   • INR =<1.4
   • PTT =<1.4 X institutional upper limit of normal
8. Patients must have the ability to understand, and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients who have metastatic prostate cancer.
2. Patients may not be receiving any other investigational agents.
3. Patients with a known bleeding diathesis or patients on therapeutic anticoagulation. (This does not include the use of aspirin but refers to warfarin, heparin, or low molecular weight heparins).
4. History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to vitamin E.
5. The patient may not receive a gonadotrophin release agonist (such as goserelin, or leuprolide), or an antiandrogen (such as biclutamide, flutamide, or nilutamide) during the study.

6. Uncontrolled intercurrent illness that would limit compliance with study requirements.

   • Inclusion of Women and Minorities

     • Only men are eligible for this trial. Members of all races and ethnic groups are eligible for this trial.