OBJECTIVES:

• Evaluate the effect of androgen ablation on bone resorption in patients with or without bone metastases secondary to prostate cancer.

OUTLINE: Patients are stratified according to prior androgen ablation therapy (yes vs no) and metastatic disease (yes vs no).

Patients undergo blood work and 24 hour urine collection on day 1 and at week 6-8. Patients who have received androgen ablation therapy and are found to have increased bone resorption undergo a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan.

A comparison is made between androgen ablation therapy and bone resorption and if metastases are associated with the two.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 150 patients will be accrued for this study within 9 months.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed prostate cancer

• Stratum 1 (androgen ablation therapy):

  • Bone metastases
  • Prior orchiectomy allowed
  • Prior or concurrent leuprolide and/or goserelin therapy allowed

• Stratum 2 (androgen ablation therapy):

  • No bone metastases
  • Prior orchiectomy allowed
  • Prior or concurrent leuprolide and/or goserelin therapy allowed

• Stratum 3 (no androgen ablation therapy):

  • No metastatic disease
  • Prior flutamide or bicalutamide therapy allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Not specified

Performance status:

• Not specified

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Calcium normal

Hepatic:

• Not specified

Renal:

• Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

Endocrine therapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent high dose steroids

Radiotherapy:

• Prior radiotherapy allowed

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Prior radical prostatectomy allowed

Other:

• No concurrent bisphosphonates