Hormone Therapy Compared With Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate that was continuously treated with androgen suppression
Rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA), defined as PSA > 5 ng/mL, rising on 2 consecutive measurements at least 4 weeks apart
Gleason score 7 or higher and/or seminal vesicle involvement at diagnosis

Patients previously treated with antiandrogen or glucocorticoid therapy must meet the following criteria:

Must show a continued rise in PSA after stopping antiandrogen (flutamide, bicalutamide, or nilutamide) or glucocorticoid (dexamethasone or prednisone)

At least 4 weeks continued rise in PSA after flutamide or nilutamide (6 weeks for bicalutamide)

Testosterone less than 50 ng/dL

Patients who have not undergone surgical castration must continue primary androgen suppression to maintain castrate levels of testosterone
No progressive or measurable local or metastatic disease (including bone metastases)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

18 and over

Performance status:

ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

Not specified

Hematopoietic:

Granulocyte count at least 2,000/mm^3
Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

SGOT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal
Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

Renal:

Creatinine no greater than 1.7 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

No American Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
No uncontrolled congestive heart failure
No life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias

Other:

Fertile patients must use effective contraception
No other prior malignancy unless curatively treated and disease-free for appropriate time period for specific cancer
No preexisting peripheral neuropathy greater than grade 1
No known hypersensitivity to polysorbate 80

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

Not specified

Chemotherapy:

At least 5 years since prior systemic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

See Disease Characteristics
At least 4 weeks since prior hydrocortisone
No prior ketoconazole

Radiotherapy:

At least 28 days since prior radiotherapy to primary site
No prior palliative radiotherapy
No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

See Disease Characteristics

Other:

Recovered form prior therapy
At least 7 days since prior parenteral antibiotics for active infection
No concurrent digitalis
No concurrent H_2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors (arm I only)
Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed provided they were initiated prior to study therapy