Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate

- Biochemically relapsed prostate cancer

- Must have received primary therapy (i.e., radical prostatectomy, definitive
radiotherapy, brachytherapy, or cryotherapy)

- If patient has a rising PSA after radical prostatectomy, salvage radiotherapy
must have been offered

- Evidence of biochemical progression as determined by 3 PSA measurements, each higher
than the previous value and meeting the following criteria:

- The second PSA (PSA2) must be obtained at least 8 weeks after the first (PSA1)

- The third PSA (PSA3) must be obtained at least 2 weeks after the PSA2 and within
the past 4 weeks

- The PSA3 must be > 2.0 ng/mL and ≤ 20 ng/mL

- Must not have received more than 1 course of prior androgen ablation, defined as
treatment with a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist resulting in a
castrate testosterone level AND a PSA nadir ≤ 0.1 followed by subsequent withdrawal
of androgen ablation and recovery of testosterone to a non-castrate level

- No evidence of metastatic disease on radionuclide bone scan and CT scan performed
within the past 8 weeks

- Retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy ≤ 2 cm is not considered metastatic for purposes
of this study

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG performance status 0-1

- WBC > 2,500/mm³

- ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³

- Hemoglobin > 9.0 g/dL

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³

- Serum creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

- Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN

- PT/INR ≤ 1.3

- Serum testosterone normal

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No active autoimmune disease or history of autoimmune disease requiring treatment
with systemic immunosuppression including, but not limited to, any of the following:

- Inflammatory bowel disease

- Systemic lupus erythematosus

- Systemic vasculitis

- Scleroderma

- Multiple sclerosis

- Hemolytic anemia

- Sjögren syndrome

- Sarcoidosis

- No known active infection

- No uncontrolled concurrent illness including, but not limited to, any of the
following:

- Systemic congestive heart failure

- Unstable angina pectoris

- Cardiac arrhythmia

- Psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study
requirements

- No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or
biologic composition to leuprolide acetate, bicalutamide, or sargramostim (GM-CSF)

- No known sensitivity to materials of bovine origin

- No hypersensitivity to GM-CSF or to any of the other components of CG1940/CG8711,
which includes fetal bovine serum, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and hydroxyethyl starch
and may include small amounts of porcine trypsin and DNase

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics

- More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent systemic corticosteroids

- Use of inhaled corticosteroids for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) is permitted

- More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent chemotherapy or other cancer therapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent use of herbal products (e.g., saw
palmetto or PC-SPES)

- At least 4 weeks since prior and no other concurrent investigational agents

- No other concurrent anticancer commercial agents or therapies

- Prior androgen ablation administered concomitantly with primary radiotherapy allowed