Hormone Therapy With or Without Surgery or Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically proven locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the prostate, defined as 1 of the following:

  * T3-4, N0 or NX, M0
  * T2, PSA greater than 40 µg/L
  * T2, PSA greater than 20 µg/L AND Gleason score at least 8
* Diagnosis made within the past 6 months
* Gleason score and PSA known
* Pelvic lymph nodes must be clinically negative

  * Lymph nodes no more than 1.5 cm in greatest diameter by CT scan or MRI of the pelvis
  * Negative needle aspirate required for any lymph node more than 1.5 cm
  * If a lymph node dissection was performed, it must be histologically negative
* No small cell or transitional cell carcinoma by biopsy
* No bony metastases by bone scan

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* Under 80

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

* At least 5 years excluding malignancy

Hematopoietic:

* Hemoglobin at least 10.0 g/dL
* WBC at least 2,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin less than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* SGOT and SGPT less than 2 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase less than 2 times ULN
* No history of chronic liver disease

Renal:

* Creatinine less than 2 times ULN

Other:

* No contraindication to wide-field pelvic irradiation (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease or severe bladder irritability)
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* Not specified

Chemotherapy:

* Not specified

Endocrine therapy:

* Prior hormonal therapy within the past 12 weeks allowed provided the following conditions are met:

  * Negative bone scan before beginning any hormonal therapy
  * Extracapsular extension remains palpable on rectal re-exam
  * Baseline PSA known before beginning any hormonal therapy
* At least 4-6 weeks since prior 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor (e.g., finasteride) for benign prostatic hypertrophy

Radiotherapy:

* No prior pelvic irradiation

Surgery:

* No prior radical prostatectomy
* Prior transurethral resection of the prostate allowed

Other:

* No prior cytotoxic anticancer therapy
* No other prior treatment for prostate cancer
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy unless documented disease progression