Quality of Life in Patients Undergoing Surgery or Brachytherapy for Stage II Prostate Cancer

OBJECTIVES: * Compare changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with stage II prostate cancer up to 2 years after treatment with radical prostatectomy or brachytherapy. * Compare the effect of baseline HRQOL, age, and other covariates on HRQOL improvement or deterioration in these patients up to 10 years after these treatments. * Compare the effect of treatment modality on HRQOL improvement or deterioration in these patients up to 10 years after these treatments. * Compare the effects of treatment failure on HRQOL, in terms of disease progression, in these patients. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms on ACOSOG-Z0070 (radical prostatectomy vs brachytherapy). Patients in both arms complete a quality of life questionnaire at baseline, 2 and 6 months after treatment, and then at 1, 2, 4, 7, and 10 years after treatment. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 500 patients (250 per group) will be accrued for this study within 2 years.