Docetaxel, Androgen Ablation Therapy, and External-Beam Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With High-Risk Localized Prostate Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate

• High-risk localized disease, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

  • T3 or T4
  • T1-2 with Gleason score 8-10
  • T1-2 with Gleason score 7 AND PSA ≥ 10 ng/mL
  • T1-2 with any Gleason score AND PSA ≥ 20 ng/mL
• No evidence of metastatic disease on chest x-ray, bone scan, or CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-1
• Life expectancy ≥ 10 years
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.2 mg/dL
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 3 months after completion of study therapy
• No peripheral neuropathy > grade 1
• No myocardial infarction or significant change in anginal pattern within the past year
• No New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure
• No history of severe hypersensitivity reaction to docetaxel or other drugs formulated with polysorbate 80
• No other invasive malignancy within the past 5 years except for carcinoma in situ or nonmelanoma skin cancer
• No concurrent uncontrolled illness, psychiatric condition, or other condition that would preclude study treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• No prior pelvic or prostate radiotherapy for prostate cancer
• No prior chemotherapy for prostate cancer
• Prior androgen ablation therapy with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists allowed provided study treatment is started within 3 months of the initiation of androgen ablation therapy
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• Concurrent anticoagulation with stable dose of warfarin or low molecular weight heparin allowed