DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Unaffected brother or first-degree cousin of a young (under age 70) prostate cancer proband with a family history (two or more first-degree relatives) of prostate cancer
• No prior non-localized prostate cancer or previously diagnosed premalignant prostate disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 35 to 70

Performance status:

• SWOG 0-1 OR
• Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy:

• At least 5 years

Hematopoietic:

• Hematocrit at least 35%
• WBC at least 4,000/mm^3 with normal differential
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL
• SGOT or SGPT less than 2 times normal

Renal:

• Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL
• Less than 1+ protein, 0-3 casts, and 0-5 WBCs and RBCs in urine

Gastrointestinal:

• No medically mandated special diet that would preclude compliance with study participation
• No documented or symptomatic gastric or duodenal ulcer disease within the past year

Other:

• No severe metabolic disorders or other life-threatening acute or chronic disease
• No other invasive cancer within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer
• No predisposition to difficulties with wound healing or repair

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• At least 3 months since prior finasteride

Radiotherapy:

• No prior radiotherapy to pelvic area
• No concurrent x-rays

Surgery:

• Not specified

Other:

• At least 3 months since prior chemoprevention agents
• No aspirin or aspirin-containing products within 10 days prior to each study biopsy
• No concurrent anticoagulants