DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed prostate cancer

• Stratum I:

  • Clinically localized primary prostate cancer

    • T1-T3, G1-G3, N0, M0
    • Plan to undergo a radical prostatectomy OR

  • Local or locally advanced primary prostate cancer

    • T1-T4, G1-G3, N0, M0
    • Plan to undergo radiotherapy with curative intent

• Stratum II:

  • Metastatic prostate cancer

    • T1-T4, G1-G3, N1, M0-M1 OR
    • T1-T4, G1-G3, N0-1, M1

    • Plan to receive hormonal treatment

      • No anti-androgen monotherapy
• No cerebral metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Any age

Performance status:

• Not specified

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• Not specified

Renal:

• Not specified

Other:

• Mentally fit to complete a questionnaire
• Literate in the language of the questionnaires
• No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition that would preclude compliance
• No other concurrent malignancy except basal cell skin cancer
• No concurrent participation in other quality of life investigations that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior neoadjuvant hormonal treatment
• Planned adjuvant hormonal therapy (orchiectomy, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue, or maximal androgen blockade) is allowed for patients in stratum I

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No interstitial radiotherapy
• More than 2 years since prior radiotherapy (stratum II)

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 2 years since prior prostatectomy (stratum II)

Other:

• No prior treatment for prostate carcinoma