Study of Chitosan for Pharmacologic Manipulation of AGE Levels in Prostate Cancer Patients

The overall goal of this study is to identify a safe dose of the metabolic supplement, Chitosan that can help reduce AGE (advanced glycation endproducts) levels in patients with prostate cancer. Chitosan is a naturally occurring substance found in shellfish. This study will be using Chitosan prepared from the shells of cold-water shrimp. Chitosan is approved by the FDA for use in wound dressings and has been used in published clinical trials for weight loss but is not approved for the purposes of this study. AGEs are a type of metabolite, or substance, found in food and produced in the body. The researchers helping conduct this study have found a potential link between AGE levels and cancer. Participation in this study will require three study visits over the course of about 3 months. During these visits subjects will be asked to provide blood and stool samples as well as complete surveys about their quality of life.