Lycopene in Treating Patients Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer

Criteria:

* Creatinine normal
* Biopsy-confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate
* Localized disease
* Planned radical prostatectomy
* ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 OR Karnofsky PS 60-100%
* WBC \>= 3,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count \>= 100,000/mm\^3
* Bilirubin normal
* AST and ALT =\< 2.5 times upper limit of normal
* Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception
* No other invasive cancer (except nonmelanoma skin cancer) within the past 2 years
* Patients who received curative treatment and have shown no evidence of recurrence within the past 2 years are eligible
* No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to lycopene (e.g., other carotenoids, including lutein and beta-carotene)
* More than 30 days since prior regular (\> once weekly) lycopene supplementation (\>= 15 mg/day) and meets the following criteria: no more than 2 servings of tomato sauce, juice, or soup per week; no more than 4 servings of grapefruit, raw tomato, or watermelon per week
* Must not consume 1 serving of tomato sauce, juice, or soup per week AND more than 2 servings of grapefruit, raw tomato, or watermelon per week
* More than 30 days since prior and no concurrent investigational medication
* No concurrent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, or immunotherapy
* No history of allergy to foods containing lycopene (e.g., tomatoes or tomato products, watermelon, guava, and pink grapefruit)
* No concurrent uncontrolled illness including, but not limited to, any of the following: ongoing or active infection; symptomatic congestive heart failure; unstable angina pectoris; cardiac arrhythmia; psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
* No prior therapy for prostate cancer, including radiotherapy to the prostate or pelvis, androgen ablation, or antiandrogen systemic therapy
* No other concurrent lycopene (\>= 15 mg/day)