DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate in either of the following clinical states:

  • History of localized disease with prior definitive radiotherapy or surgery

    • Biochemically progressive disease*
    • No radiographically evident disease

  • Radiographically evident non-castrate metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis or after treatment for localized disease

    • Radiographically (new osseous lesions or more than a 25% increase in a bidimensionally measurable tumor mass) AND/OR biochemically progressive disease*
• Testosterone greater than 180 mg/dL
• No active CNS or epidural tumor NOTE: *Biochemically progressive disease, defined as an increase of at least 50% in the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level across at least 3 determinations each measured more than 2 weeks apart with a baseline PSA of at least 2 ng/mL

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy

• At least 3 months

Hematopoietic

• WBC at least 3,500/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin greater than 8.0 g/dL

Hepatic

• Bilirubin normal
• SGOT and SGPT less than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) AND alkaline phosphatase less than ULN OR
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 4 times ULN AND SGPT and SGOT less than ULN

Renal

• Creatinine no greater than 1.6 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

• No New York Heart Association class III or IV cardiac disease

Pulmonary

• No severe debilitating pulmonary disease

Other

• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 6 months after study treatment
• No uncontrolled serious active infection
• No grade 2 or greater peripheral neuropathy
• No prior severe hypersensitivity reaction to drugs formulated with polysorbate 80

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

• No prior chemotherapy
• No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• Prior hormonal therapy before radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy allowed provided the total duration of therapy is no more than 6 months
• No more than 1 course of intermittent hormonal therapy up to a maximum exposure of 6 months

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent therapeutic radiotherapy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics

Other

• At least 7 days since prior inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A, including the following:

  • Fluconazole
  • Itraconazole
  • Macrolide antibiotics (e.g., azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, and troleanodomycin)
  • Midazolam
  • Nifedipine
  • Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw)
  • Chamomile (matricaria chamomila)
  • Echinacea
  • Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal)
  • Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice)
  • Milk thistle
  • Trifolium pratense (wild cherry)
  • Garlic
• No concurrent inhibitors or inducers of CYP3A during courses 1 and 2

• No concurrent administration of the following drugs:

  • Phenytoin
  • Carbamazepine
  • Barbiturates
  • Rifampin
  • Phenobarbital
  • Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort)
  • Ketoconazole
• No other concurrent experimental anticancer medication