DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

• Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate

• Biochemical relapse after local therapy (i.e., radical prostatectomy and/or definitive radiotherapy), as evidenced by rising serum PSA

  • PSA doubling time ≤ 12 months after local therapy, as determined by linear regression of all available PSA values within 6 months of initiation of androgen ablation

    • At least 1 PSA measurement ≥ 1.0 ng/mL for patients who underwent prostatectomy
    • At least 1 PSA measurement ≥ 3.0 ng/mL and ≥ 150% post-radiotherapy nadir for patients who underwent radiotherapy
• No local recurrence
• Androgen ablation initiated within the past 8 weeks
• PSA < 40 ng/mL within the past 3 weeks
• No evidence of metastasis as determined by bone scan or CT scan
• Registered in the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center institutional database

Exclusion criteria:

• Histologic variants other than adenocarcinoma in the primary tumor

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Leukocytes ≥ 3,000/mm³
• ANC ≥ 1,000/mm³
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL (transfusions allowed)
• Platelet count > 100,000/mm³
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and/or ALT ≤ 3 times ULN
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN OR calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• Serum cholesterol level < 350 mg/dL
• Triglyceride level < 300 mg/dL
• Must use effective contraception

Exclusion criteria:

• Uncontrolled concurrent illness including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  • Ongoing or active infection requiring parenteral therapy on day 1 of protocol treatment
  • Symptomatic congestive heart failure resulting in a resting O_² saturation < 92% on room air
  • Unstable angina pectoris
  • Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
  • Ongoing maintenance therapy for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia, known pulmonary hypertension, or pneumonitis
• Severely compromised immunological state, including HIV positivity due to possible pharmacokinetic interactions with Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy
• Acute or chronic hepatitis B or C
• History of any other cancer, except nonmelanoma skin cancer, unless in complete remission and off all therapy for that disease for a minimum of 3 years

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Inclusion criteria:

• See Disease Characteristics

Exclusion criteria:

• Prior systemic treatment for prostate cancer

  • Androgen ablation therapy for ≤ 3 months in a neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant setting AND ≥ 1 year since last administration is allowed
• Immunosuppressive agents, including intravenous corticosteroids, within 3 weeks of study entry
• Other concurrent investigational agents
• Concurrent immunotherapy or immunosuppressive therapy