Hormone Therapy in Treating Patients With Rising PSA Levels Following Radiation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically proven adenocarcinoma of the prostate prior to the initiation of radiotherapy
* Prior pelvic radiotherapy for prostate cancer, either post-radical prostatectomy or as primary management

  * More than 30 months since prior brachytherapy with curative intent
* Prostate-specific antigen must be rising and greater than 3 ng/mL and higher than the lowest level recorded previously since the end of radiotherapy (i.e., higher than the post-radiotherapy nadir)
* Total testosterone greater than 5 nmol/L
* No definite evidence of metastatic disease

  * Chest x-ray and bone scan negative for metastases
  * Radiological changes compatible with nonmalignant diseases allowed
* Clinical evidence of local disease allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 16 and over (18 and over for participating centers in the United Kingdom)

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

* More than 5 years

Hematopoietic:

* Not specified

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST/ALT no greater than 1.5 times ULN
* LDH no greater than 1.5 times ULN
* No chronic liver disease

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN

Other:

* Sufficiently fluent and willing to complete the quality of life questionnaire in either English or French
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated basal or squamous cell skin cancer or superficial bladder cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* No prior or concurrent biologic therapy

Chemotherapy:

* No prior or concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* Prior hormonal therapy administered prior to, during, or immediately after radical radiotherapy or prostatectomy allowed provided duration was no longer than 12 months

  * At least 12 months since prior hormonal therapy

Radiotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 12 months since prior radiotherapy
* No concurrent palliative radiotherapy

Surgery:

* See Disease Characteristics
* See Endocrine therapy

Other:

* No concurrent bisphosphonates