Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate in either of the following
clinical states:

- History of localized disease with prior definitive radiotherapy or surgery

- Biochemically progressive disease*

- No radiographically evident disease

- Radiographically evident non-castrate metastatic disease at the time of
diagnosis or after treatment for localized disease

- Radiographically (new osseous lesions or more than a 25% increase in a
bidimensionally measurable tumor mass) AND/OR biochemically progressive
disease*

- Testosterone greater than 180 mg/dL

- No active CNS or epidural tumor NOTE: *Biochemically progressive disease, defined as
an increase of at least 50% in the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level across at
least 3 determinations each measured more than 2 weeks apart with a baseline PSA of
at least 2 ng/mL

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy

- At least 3 months

Hematopoietic

- WBC at least 3,500/mm^3

- Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin greater than 8.0 g/dL

Hepatic

- Bilirubin normal

- SGOT and SGPT less than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) AND alkaline
phosphatase less than ULN OR

- Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 4 times ULN AND SGPT and SGOT less than ULN

Renal

- Creatinine no greater than 1.6 mg/dL OR

- Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

- No New York Heart Association class III or IV cardiac disease

Pulmonary

- No severe debilitating pulmonary disease

Other

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 6 months
after study treatment

- No uncontrolled serious active infection

- No grade 2 or greater peripheral neuropathy

- No prior severe hypersensitivity reaction to drugs formulated with polysorbate 80

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

- No prior chemotherapy

- No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

- Prior hormonal therapy before radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy allowed provided
the total duration of therapy is no more than 6 months

- No more than 1 course of intermittent hormonal therapy up to a maximum exposure of 6
months

Radiotherapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- No concurrent therapeutic radiotherapy

Surgery

- See Disease Characteristics

Other

- At least 7 days since prior inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A, including the following:

- Fluconazole

- Itraconazole

- Macrolide antibiotics (e.g., azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, and
troleanodomycin)

- Midazolam

- Nifedipine

- Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw)

- Chamomile (matricaria chamomila)

- Echinacea

- Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal)

- Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice)

- Milk thistle

- Trifolium pratense (wild cherry)

- Garlic

- No concurrent inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A during courses 1 and 2

- No concurrent administration of the following drugs:

- Phenytoin

- Carbamazepine

- Barbiturates

- Rifampin

- Phenobarbital

- Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)

- Ketoconazole

- No other concurrent experimental anticancer medication