DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate

  • Androgen-independent metastatic prostate cancer with evidence of clinical, radiographic, or biochemical progression in the setting of castrate levels of testosterone (< 50 mg/dL)

    • No androgen-independent prostate cancer with a rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) without clinical or radiographic evidence of metastases
  • Clinical or radiographic evidence of metastatic disease with a rising PSA measured 2 times at ≥ 1 week interval allowed
• Antiandrogen therapy must have been stopped at least 4 weeks (for flutamide) or 6 weeks (for bicalutamide or nilutamide) prior to study entry with evidence of either a rising PSA (from baseline) measured twice at least 2 weeks apart or radiographic evidence of disease progression
• Testicular androgen suppression (< 50 mg/dL) must be maintained with either luteinizing-hormone releasing-hormone (LHRH) therapy or bilateral orchiectomy
• No clinical evidence of CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• AST and ALT ≤ 2 times normal
• Creatinine < 2 mg/dL
• No history of severe uncontrolled congestive heart failure (CHF), ventricular dysrhythmias, or severe cardiovascular disease (American Heart Association class III or IV)
• Disease-free of prior malignancies for ≥ 5 years, with the exception of curatively treated basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin or low-grade, low-stage bladder cancer
• No active infection or parenteral antibiotics within 7 days of study entry
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No radiation therapy within 4 weeks prior to study entry
• No filgrastim (G-CSF) within 24 hours before or after study therapy

• No prior systemic chemotherapy for metastatic disease

  • Neoadjuvant or adjuvant non-taxane chemotherapy more than 1 year prior to study entry allowed
• No concurrent local radiotherapy for control of pain or life-threatening situations