Zoledronate in Preventing Osteoporosis and Bone Fractures in Patients With Locally Advanced Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy and Hormone Therapy

Eligibility criteria: * Pathologically (histologically or cytologically) proven diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the prostate within 12 months of registration; * Any one of the following clinical stages: * T3 disease, any N stage, M0 with any Gleason score and any prostate-specific antigen (PSA); \< T3 stage, any N stage, M0 with Gleason's score ≥ 8 and any PSA; \< T3 stage, any N stage, M0 with Gleason's score 7 and PSA ≥ 15 nanograms/ml; \< T3 stage, any N stage, M0 with Gleason score \< 7 and PSA ≥ 20 nanograms/ml. * A negative bone scan for metastatic disease; * It is mandatory that the treating physician determine the planned duration of LHRH therapy prior to the site registering the patient (minimum 1 year of therapy); If patient is receiving pre-treatment LHRH therapy, it must have begun ≤ 6 months prior to registration. If pelvic radiation therapy (RT) has started, it must have begun ≤ 8 weeks prior to registration; * Appropriate stage for protocol entry, including no distant metastases, based upon the following minimum diagnostic workup to be done within 16 weeks prior to registration: * History/physical examination; * Dental evaluation, including history of dental surgery (e.g., extraction or implant); * Bone scan; * T and L spine films; * DXA scan: To be eligible the patient must have a scan on Lunar, Hologic, or Norland equipment only and the T scores in both the L spine and total hip must be \> negative 2.5; * Zubrod Performance Status 0-1 within 16 weeks prior to registration; (8/16/07) * Age ≥ 18; * Serum creatinine within 4 weeks prior to registration (8/16/07) * Corrected serum calcium ≥ 8.4 and ≤ 10.6 mg/dl within 8 weeks prior to registration; note: for patients with an albumin of 4.0, corrected calcium=measured calcium. The formula for corrected calcium if serum albumin value is above or below 4.0 is as follows: Corrected calcium (mg/dl) = (4 - \[patient's albumin (g/dl)\] x 0.8) + patient's measured calcium (mg/dl) * Patients who are sexually active must be willing/able to use medically acceptable forms of contraception, as the treatment involved in this study may be significantly teratogenic. * Patient agrees to refrain from using all products listed in Section 9.2, "Non-permitted Supportive Therapy"; * Post-prostatectomy patients are eligible. * Patient must sign study specific informed consent prior to study entry. Ineligibility criteria: * Prior invasive malignancy (except non-melanomatous skin cancer) unless disease free for a minimum of 3 years; e.g., carcinoma in situ of the breast or oral cavity are permissible; * Patients with baseline T scores of ≤ -2.5 are excluded. * Patients with baseline calculated creatinine clearance \< 30 mL/min (estimated by Cockcroft-Gault formula below) are excluded. creatinine clearance male = \[(140 - age) x (wt in kg)\] / \[(serum creatinine) x (72)\] * Prior bisphosphonate therapy; * Prior pelvic radiation (other than for current prostate cancer) or prior systemic radiotherapeutic agents, such as strontium or samarium; * Patients receiving systemic chemotherapy, steroids, growth hormones, or calcitonin; * Patients with a history of Paget's disease or with uncontrolled thyroid or parathyroid dysfunction or with other diseases that influence bone metabolism; * Known hypersensitivity to zoledronic acid or other bisphosphonates; * Active dental problems at study entry, including infection of the teeth or jawbone; dental or fixture trauma; or a current or prior diagnosis of osteonecrosis of the jaw, exposed bone in the mouth, or slow healing after dental procedures; * Recent or planned