Chemotherapy With or Without Biological Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Prostate Cancer That Has Not Responded to Hormone Therapy

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate
* Evidence of progressive metastatic disease (e.g., bone, pelvic mass, lymph node, liver or lung metastases)

  * Radiologic evidence of hydronephrosis only does not constitute evidence of metastatic disease
* Must not have an elevated serum alkaline phosphatase or PSA level as only evidence of disease
* If bone metastases only (i.e., lacking soft tissue disease), must have PSA level of at least 20 ng/mL
* If soft tissue metastases and/or visceral disease, must have either bidimensionally measurable disease or PSA level of at least 20 ng/mL
* Must have had prior bilateral orchiectomy or other primary hormonal therapy (e.g., estrogen therapy or LHRH blocker plus flutamide) with evidence of treatment failure
* No carcinomatous meningitis or brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

* Not specified

Hematopoietic:

* WBC at least 4,000/mm\^3
* Granulocyte count at least 2,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3

Hepatic:

* See Disease Characteristics
* Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
* SGOT/SGPT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL OR
* Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

* No active angina pectoris
* No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
* No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
* No deep venous thrombosis
* LVEF at least 50% by MUGA

Other:

* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 1 month after study
* Prior malignancy allowed provided curatively treated and disease free for appropriate time period for specific cancer
* No other serious medical illness or active infection that would preclude protocol therapy
* No concurrent prolonged exposure to sunlight
* No concurrent alcohol consumption

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* Not specified

Chemotherapy:

* No prior chemotherapy, including neoadjuvant chemotherapy or single-agent estramustine

Endocrine therapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* If no prior bilateral orchiectomy, must continue LHRH agonist therapy (e.g., depot leuprolide or goserelin)
* At least 4 weeks since prior flutamide or flutamide with evidence of progressive disease
* At least 6 weeks since prior bicalutamide with evidence of progressive disease

Radiotherapy:

* More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
* No prior strontium chloride Sr 89, samarium Sm 153 lexidronam pentasodium, or other radioisotope therapies

Surgery:

* See Disease Characteristics

Other:

* Recovered from all toxic effects due to prior treatment for prostate cancer
* No concurrent milk, milk products, antacids, calcium-containing drugs, or any food with estramustine (arm I only)
* No concurrent vitamin supplements containing vitamin A (arm II only)