DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer

  • Patients who have been recently withdrawn from treatment with bicalutamide or flutamide must demonstrate progression of disease
• Measurable disease OR prostate-specific antigen level ≥ 10 ng/mL

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Estimated life expectancy ≥ 6 months
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min
• Bilirubin normal

• AST, ALT, and alkaline phosphatase (AP) must meet 1 of the following criteria:

  • AP normal and AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • AP elevated and AST and ALT normal
• No history of severe hypersensitivity reaction to docetaxel or other drugs formulated with polysorbate 80
• No peripheral neuropathy > grade 1
• No concurrent active infections
• No concurrent major depression or suicidal ideation
• No concurrent medical condition that would preclude study participation
• No known HIV positivity
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 10 weeks after completion of study therapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Recovered from prior surgery or radiotherapy
• No prior chemotherapy, retinoids, or interferon therapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior flutamide
• More than 6 weeks since prior bicalutamide