Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate

- Meets one of the following criteria

- Metastatic disease

- Systemic progressive disease after locoregional therapy (surgery or
radiotherapy)

- No metastatic disease AND meets one of the following criteria:

- Circulating PSA levels ≥ 50 ng/mL (confirmed by ≥ 2 subsequent evaluations)

- Biochemical progression with a PSA doubling time < 6 months (with ≥ 3
measurements taken 1 month apart) after primary locoregional treatment
(radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy) with curative intent

- Prostate-confined tumor with high-risk features whose therapy of choice is
androgen deprivation

- No symptomatic brain metastases or leptomeningeal disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG or Zubrod performance status 0-2

- Life expectancy ≥ 6 months

- ANC ≥ 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL

- Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL

- AST/ALT ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal

- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

- No active infection requiring IV antibiotics

- No active ulcer, unstable diabetes mellitus, or other contraindication to
corticotherapy

- None of the following cardiovascular conditions:

- Uncompensated heart failure (ejection fraction < 40%)

- Myocardial infarction or revascularization procedure within the past 6 months

- Unstable angina pectoris

- Uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia

- No other severe clinical condition that, in the judgment of the local investigator,
would place the patient at undue risk or interfere with the study

- Not a prisoner

- No prior malignancy, except for non-melanoma skin cancer, in situ cervical carcinoma,
or other cancer that was curatively treated with no evidence of disease for ≥ 5 years

- No familial, social, or geographical condition or significant neurologic or
psychiatric disorder that would preclude understanding or rendering informed consent
or fully complying with study treatment and follow-up

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- At least 5 years since prior radiotherapy outside the prostate

- Prior hormonal therapy allowed provided it was administered for ≤ 6 months

- At least 12 months since prior hormonal therapy

- More than 30 days since prior participation in another clinical trial involving
investigational agents

- No prior surgical castration

- Concurrent androgen deprivation for prostate cancer allowed provided it was started ≤
3 months prior to initiation of study treatment

- Concurrent anticoagulant treatment allowed

- No other concurrent investigational drugs