OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the incidence, grade, and time course of acute grade 2 or higher gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicities in patients with primary prostate adenocarcinoma receiving amifostine plus fractionated radiotherapy. II. Determine the incidence and nature of toxicity associated with amifostine in these patients. III. Assess tumor response to this treatment in these patients. IV. Assess impotency rates following radiotherapy in these patients.
OUTLINE: This is an open label study. Patients receive fractionated radiotherapy five days per week for 7 weeks plus amifostine IV push over 5 minutes, 15 minutes before each radiation treatment. Patients are followed at 1 month after radiotherapy, and then every 3 months for at least 5 years.
PROJECTED ACCRUAL: There will be 25 patients accrued into this study over 2 years.
