DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate

• Metastatic disease with progression despite androgen ablation (orchiectomy or luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone [LHRH] analogues)

  • Patients who have not undergone orchiectomy should continue LHRH analogues (e.g., leuprolide or goserelin)
  • Patients receiving LHRH analogues must have testosterone level less than 50 ng/dL

  • Disease progression defined as one of the following:

    • Progressive bidimensionally measurable disease independent of changes in PSA, bone scan, or performance status within past 30 days
    • At least 1 new lesion on bone scan within past 30 days and PSA at least 5 ng/mL
• Patients with bidimensionally measurable disease or bone metastases that are not progressive but who have a rising PSA (2 successive increases over at least 2 weeks) are eligible, provided pre-entry PSA is greater than 5 ng/mL NOTE: Patients with elevated PSA as only evidence of disease are not eligible
• No decreasing PSA levels after antiandrogen withdrawal
• No carcinomatous meningitis or brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• WBC at least 3,000/mm^3
• Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin at least 8.5 g/dL

Hepatic

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• AST or ALT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal

• Creatinine no greater than 2.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular

• No history of uncontrolled serious cardiac disease
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina
• No valvular disease with documented ventricular compromise
• No uncontrolled hypertension
• No uncontrolled arrhythmia
• No clinically significant pericardial effusion

Other

• Fertile patients must use effective double-barrier contraception
• No peripheral sensory or motor neuropathy grade 2 or greater
• No other prior or concurrent malignancies except in situ carcinoma of any site, nonmelanoma skin cancer, or other malignancy treated with surgery or radiotherapy with a disease-free survival longer than 5 years
• No active serious infections
• No other serious underlying medical conditions that would preclude study
• No dementia or significantly altered mental status that would preclude informed consent

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No concurrent biologic therapy or immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

• No prior chemotherapy for prostate cancer
• No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior flutamide or nilutamide
• At least 6 weeks since prior bicalutamide
• No concurrent hormonal therapy (including megestrol)
• No concurrent anticancer hormonal therapy
• No concurrent steroids

Radiotherapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No prior strontium chloride Sr 89 or other radioisotopes
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 3 weeks since prior major surgery (excluding biopsy or venous access device placement) and recovered

Other

• No other concurrent investigational therapy
• No concurrent alternative or herbal therapies (including PC-SPES)