Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the prostate

- Osseous metastases confirmed by radiography

- Lytic bone lesions considered for biopsy if there is clinical suspicion of
histologic conversion to small cell carcinoma

- Failed prior hormonal therapy

- Progressive disease, as evidenced by one of the following:

- 2 consecutive rises in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of at least 1 ng/mL over
4 weeks

- Increase of 25% of the product of bidimensional disease or 30% in maximum
diameter

- Increase in number of osseous metastases by bone scan

- Worsening symptoms attributable to disease progression (e.g., worsening bony
pain)

- PSA ≥ 1 ng/mL

- Castrate serum testosterone ≤ 50 ng/dL

- Concurrent luteinizing-hormone releasing-hormone analog required for medically
castrated patients

- No small cell or sarcomatoid prostate cancers

- No uncontrolled CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- Any age

Performance status

- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-2

Life expectancy

- At least 3 months

Hematopoietic

- Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

- Aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) ≤ 2 times upper limit
of normal

- No chronic liver disease

Renal

- Creatinine clearance ≥ 40 mL/min

Cardiovascular

- No New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure

- No unstable angina

- No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

- No evidence of myocardial ischemia on electrocardiogram

- No uncontrolled severe hypertension

Pulmonary

- No oxygen-dependent lung disease

Other

- HIV negative

- No concurrent severe infection

- No contraindication to corticosteroids

- No uncontrolled diabetes mellitus

- No grade 2 or greater peripheral neuropathy

- No other malignancy within the past 2 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer

- No overt psychosis, mental disability, or incompetency that would preclude giving
informed consent

- No history of noncompliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

- No prior taxanes

- No more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens

- At least 30 days since prior chemotherapy and recovered

- No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 4 weeks since prior flutamide or nilutamide*

- At least 6 weeks since prior bicalutamide* NOTE: *Unless there is evidence of interim
disease progression

Radiotherapy

- At least 90 days since prior strontium chloride Sr 89 or samarium Sm 153 lexidronam
pentasodium and recovered

- At least 30 days since other prior radiotherapy and recovered

Surgery

- Fully recovered from prior surgery

Other

- No concurrent ketoconazole

- No concurrent warfarin