DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Normal healthy males judged to be in good medical condition based on history and physical exam confirming the absence of chronic medical conditions
• Baseline serum lycopene less than 600 nM

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 to 45

Performance status:

• Karnofsky 100%

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Hematologic function normal

Hepatic:

• Liver function normal
• No hepatic disease

Renal:

• Kidney function normal
• No renal disease

Cardiovascular:

• No hypertension requiring medication
• No cardiovascular disease
• Normal EKG

Other:

• No evidence of a psychiatric disorder
• Must be within 15% of ideal body weight based on standard weight tables
• No history of smoking within the past 3 months
• At least 72 hours since prior alcohol consumption and no history of alcohol abuse
• No history of gastrointestinal malabsorption or any other condition that could affect drug absorption
• No allergy to tomato based products
• No active malignancy at any site
• No illness that would pose a threat or additional risk (e.g., thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• Not specified

Surgery:

• Not specified

Other:

• At least 14 days since prior prescription drugs
• No concurrent regular prescription medications
• At least 30 days since other prior experimental drugs
• No concurrent participation in any other experimental trial