Food Effect Study of Abiraterone Acetate for Treatment of Patients With Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed prostate cancer with progressive disease defined as either: * 2 or more new lesions on bone scan or * Progressive disease on computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) according to Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1 criteria or * Rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA): PSA evidence for progressive prostate cancer consists of a minimum PSA level of at least 2 ng/ml, which has subsequently risen on at least 2 successive occasions, at least 2 weeks apart * Evidence of castration resistance defined as disease progression despite a testosterone level \< 50 ng/dL (or surgical castration) * Any prior therapy for castrate disease is acceptable except prior abiraterone, which is excluded; a minimum washout of 28 days for any other anticancer therapy prior to first dose of study drug is required * Any other radiotherapy or radionuclide require 28-day washout prior to first dose of study drug * Denosumab or zoledronic acid are allowed * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1 * Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 x the upper limit of normal * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamic pyruvate transaminase \[SGPT\]) =\< 2.5 X institutional upper limit of normal * Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document Exclusion Criteria: * Therapy with other hormonal therapy, including any dose of megestrol acetate (Megace), finasteride (Proscar), dutasteride (Avodart), or any herbal product known to decrease PSA levels (e.g., saw palmetto and PC-SPES), or any systemic corticosteroid (other than prednisone =\< 10 mg/day) within 4 weeks prior to first dose of study drug * Therapy with supplements or complementary medicines/botanicals within 4 weeks of first dose of study drug is excluded with the following exceptions: * Conventional multivitamin supplements * Selenium * Lycopene * Soy supplements * Inability to swallow capsules or known gastrointestinal malabsorption * History of other malignancies, with the exception of adequately treated non-melanoma skin cancer or adequately treated superficial bladder cancer or other solid tumors curatively treated with no evidence of disease for \>= 5 years from enrollment * Blood pressure that is not controlled despite \> 2 oral agents (systolic blood pressure \[SBP\] \> 160 and diastolic blood pressure \[DBP\] \> 90 documented during the screening period with no subsequent blood pressure readings \< 160/100) * Serum potassium (K)+ \< 3.5 mmoL/L on more than one reading within the screening period * Serious intercurrent infections or non-malignant medical illnesses that are uncontrolled * Active psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with protocol requirements * New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II, NYHA class III, or IV congestive heart failure (any symptomatic heart failure) * Concurrent therapy with strong inhibitors or inducers of Cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4 due to concerning possible drug-drug interactions with abiraterone