DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the prostate

  • No small cell carcinoma

• Androgen-independent

  • No evidence of response after either of the following anti-androgen withdrawal periods:

    • Within 4 weeks for flutamide
    • Within 6 weeks for bicalutamide or nilutamide
• Rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (at least 5 ng/mL) on at least 2 occasions at least 1 week apart AND bone pain OR worsening bone scan with new lesions in less than 6 months
• Castrate testosterone level no greater than 50 ng/mL (must continue treatment to maintain castrate levels)
• No symptomatic lymphadenopathy (scrotal or pedal edema) or significant local invasive disease (hematuria)
• Osteoblastic metastases on bone scan or CT scan
• No predominant visceral metastases to liver, lungs, or brain

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Any age

Performance status:

• Zubrod 0-3

Life expectancy:

• At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

• WBC greater than 3,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT no greater than 2 times ULN

Renal:

• Not specified

Cardiovascular:

• No transient ischemic attack or myocardial infarction within the past 12 months
• No active angina or claudication sufficient to limit activity
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia

Other:

• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No prior allergic reaction to compounds of similar biologic or chemical composition to study drugs
• No other conditions (e.g., pernicious anemia) associated with achlorhydria
• No other active malignancy or malignancy that is likely to become active except non-melanoma skin cancer
• No ongoing or active infection
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study participation
• No other uncontrolled concurrent illness that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy and recovered
• Prior angiogenesis inhibitors and gene therapy allowed

Chemotherapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
• No prior doxorubicin or vinblastine for patients receiving induction chemotherapy with KAVE (ketoconazole, doxorubicin, vinblastine, estramustine)
• No prior docetaxel for patients receiving induction chemotherapy with prednisone plus docetaxel

Endocrine therapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Prior secondary hormonal agents (e.g., aminoglutethimide, diethylstilbestrol, or estramustine) allowed
• Prior steroid therapy (e.g., dexamethasone, prednisone, or hydrocortisone) allowed

Radiotherapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No prior strontium chloride Sr 89 or samarium Sm 153 lexidronam pentasodium

Surgery:

• No prior vagotomy

Other:

• No more than 1 prior cytotoxic regimen