DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed prostate cancer

• Biochemically progressive disease after primary therapy, including surgery or radiotherapy, with or without neoadjuvant androgen ablation

  • Log of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) slope greater than 0.15 as determined by at least 3 measurements taken at 2-week intervals within 12 months

  • Minimal baseline PSA value prior to study:

    • Post-prostatectomy: 0.1 ng/mL
    • Post-radiotherapy: 1.0 ng/mL
    • Intermittent hormonal therapy: 1.0 ng/mL
• Patients with prior intermittent hormonal therapy after primary therapy and non-castrate levels of testosterone (greater than 50 ng/mL) are eligible
• No radiographic evidence of metastatic disease
• Concurrent registration to MSKCC-90040 required

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy:

• At least 6 months

Hematopoietic:

• WBC at least 3,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL OR
• SGOT less than 3 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 40 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

• No clinically significant cardiac disease (New York Heart Association class III-IV)

Pulmonary:

• No severe debilitating pulmonary disease

Other:

• No other prior malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or melanoma in situ
• No allergy to seafood
• No narcotic-dependent pain
• No infection requiring antibiotics
• No positive stool guaiac except hemorrhoids or history of documented radiation induced proctitis

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No prior vaccine therapy except on phase I monovalent trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Chemotherapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy to only measurable lesion

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent surgery of only measurable lesion

Other:

• Recovered from prior therapy
• No other concurrent oncolytic agents