Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate

- Hormone-refractory disease

- Disease progression after prior hormonal therapy with luteinizing
hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) analogues or orchiectomy and antiandrogens
(given together or consecutively)

- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression documented by at least 2 increases in PSA
values over previous PSA reference value

- Must demonstrate continued PSA elevation for at least 6 weeks after
discontinuation of antiandrogen therapy

- PSA ≥ 5 ng/mL (Hybritech or equivalent) within the past week

- Testosterone ≤ 0.5 ng/mL* NOTE: *Patients with medical castration with LH-RH analogue
must continue with LH-RH analogue throughout the study

- No evidence of painful and/or destructive bone metastases requiring concurrent
radiotherapy, bisphosphonates, or bone-seeking radionuclides

- Other bone metastases allowed

- No clinical evidence of brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- WHO 0-2

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

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

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

- WBC ≥ 3,500/mm^3

- Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL

Hepatic

- AST and ALT ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Bilirubin ≤ ULN

- PTT and PT ≤ 1.5 times ULN OR

- INR ≤ 1.3

Renal

- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN OR

- Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min

Cardiovascular

- No unstable angina

- No uncontrolled hypertension

- No deep venous thrombosis within the past 6 months

- No cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attack, or myocardial infarction
within the past 6 months

Pulmonary

- No pulmonary embolism

- No history of interstitial pneumonitis

- No history of pulmonary fibrosis

Other

- Adequate venous access

- HIV negative

- No active infection

- No pre-existing neuropathy

- No hypersensitivity to phosphorothioates

- No hypersensitivity to oligonucleotides or any other component of the oblimersen
formulation or to drugs formulated with polysorbate

- No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition that would
preclude study compliance

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated superficial
urothelial or skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- Not specified

Chemotherapy

- Prior estramustine allowed

- No other prior chemotherapy

- No concurrent estramustine

Endocrine therapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 6 weeks since prior flutamide, bicalutamide, or nilutamide

- More than 6 weeks since prior hormonal manipulation with PC-SPES

- Concurrent LH-RH agonist allowed

- No concurrent antiandrogens

Radiotherapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- No prior radiotherapy involving > 25% of marrow-producing area

- No prior bone-seeking radionuclides

- No concurrent radiotherapy (including palliative therapy for painful bone metastases)

- No concurrent bone-seeking radionuclides

Surgery

- See Disease Characteristics

Other

- Prior bisphosphonates allowed

- No concurrent anticoagulation except for low-dose warfarin (1 mg/day)

- No concurrent regular (daily) intake of opioid analgesics

- No other concurrent experimental drugs or anticancer drugs

- No concurrent bisphosphonates