Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer Undergoing Prostate Biopsy and/or Surgery

OBJECTIVES: * Compare fatty acid analysis of red blood cells, levels of eIF2α phosphorylation, and tumor differentiation grade, as measured by Gleason score, in patients undergoing prostate biopsy. (Part 1) * Determine if neoadjuvant n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) induce phosphorylation of eIF2α in these patients. (Part 2) * Compare eIF2α phosphorylation, Gleason score, and the time to prostate-specific antigen failure in prostate tumor samples obtained from the Gelb Center of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute prostate tissue repository. (Part 3) OUTLINE: This is a prospective study, followed by a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, followed by a retrospective study. * Part 1: Patients undergo tumor biopsy and blood sample collection at baseline. Samples are analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography for determination of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) red cell membrane concentrations. Biopsy samples are analyzed for eIF2α phosphorylation by immunohistochemistry. Some patients proceed to part 2. * Part 2: Patients undergo blood sampling as in part 1 with additional tumor and blood collection on day 28. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. * Arm I: Patients receive oral n-3 PUFAs (fish oil) once daily for 28 days prior to tumor resection. * Arm II (control): Patients receive oral n-6 PUFAs (corn oil) once daily for 28 days prior to tumor resection. * Part 3: Tumor samples and associated pathology data (Gleason score) and clinical data (PSA values and patient's outcome) are obtained from a prostate tissue repository at the Gelb Center of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Samples are analyzed to correlate eIF2α phosphorylation, Gleason scores, and time to PSA failure. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 600 patients and 1,000 stored tissue samples will be accrued for this study.