DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate
• Must have undergone prior primary therapy for prostate cancer, including radical prostatectomy, external beam radiation therapy, or brachytherapy
• No evidence of metastases on bone scan or CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis
• Serum testosterone < 50 ng/mL

• Nadir serum PSA > 0.2 ng/dL after the initiation of androgen deprivation therapy

  • Nadir PSA must be confirmed by the presence of 2 or more subsequent PSA values that are at the same or higher level
  • At least 10% decrease in PSA (or no continued rise) in response to initial androgen-deprivation therapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Life expectancy ≥ 3 months
• Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,200/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Bilirubin normal
• AST ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) if alkaline phosphatase is not normal
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 5 times ULN if AST and ALT are not normal
• Creatinine ≤ 2 times ULN
• No other active malignancy within the past 5 years, except for adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer
• No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 12 months since initiation of prior androgen-deprivation therapy

• More than 28 days since prior corticosteroids except for inhaled or topical steroids

  • Stable doses of systemic corticosteroids allowed
• More than 28 days since prior investigational agents
• No prior docetaxel