Everolimus in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Localized Prostate Cancer

RATIONALE: Everolimus may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving everolimus before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying the side effects and how well everolimus works in treating patients with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Primary * To determine the clinical effects of everolimus, in terms of pathologic response (i.e., histologic P0, margin status, or capsular penetration) and surgical outcome, in patients with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer treated with two different doses of everolimus prior to radical prostatectomy. * To evaluate the safety and tolerability of this drug in these patients. Secondary * To determine the effect of this drug on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in these patients. * To determine the effect of this drug on levels of expression of PTEN, Akt, phospho-mTOR (i.e., Se2448), phospho-p70 S6 kinase (i.e., Thre389), phospho-Smad3 (i.e., Ser433/435), phospho-Smads 1/5 (i.e., Ser463/465), AR, and TUNEL in these patients. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. * Arm I: Patients receive low-dose oral everolimus once daily for up to 8 weeks in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. * Arm II: Patients receive high-dose oral everolimus once daily for up to 8 weeks in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Within 7 days after the last dose of everolimus, all patients undergo radical prostatectomy with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy. Tumor biopsy specimens acquired prior to treatment and prostate tumor tissue acquired at the time of radical prostatectomy are evaluated for biomarker correlative studies. Tissue samples are assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and tissue microarray analysis for expression of cellular and molecular biomarkers (i.e., p-S6, p-4E-BP1, and p-Akt) that correlate with response. Prostatectomy specimens are also assessed by pathologic analysis for histopathologic response (i.e., pathologic stage, Gleason score, margin status, and tumor size). After completion of study therapy, patients are followed at 6 weeks.