Hormone Therapy Compared With Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate that was continuously treated with androgen suppression
* Rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA), defined as PSA \> 5 ng/mL, rising on 2 consecutive measurements at least 4 weeks apart
* Gleason score 7 or higher and/or seminal vesicle involvement at diagnosis
* Patients previously treated with antiandrogen or glucocorticoid therapy must meet the following criteria:

  * Must show a continued rise in PSA after stopping antiandrogen (flutamide, bicalutamide, or nilutamide) or glucocorticoid (dexamethasone or prednisone)

    * At least 4 weeks continued rise in PSA after flutamide or nilutamide (6 weeks for bicalutamide)
* Testosterone less than 50 ng/dL

  * Patients who have not undergone surgical castration must continue primary androgen suppression to maintain castrate levels of testosterone
* No progressive or measurable local or metastatic disease (including bone metastases)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

* Not specified

Hematopoietic:

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

Hepatic:

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

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 1.7 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

* No American Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
* No uncontrolled congestive heart failure
* No life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias

Other:

* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other prior malignancy unless curatively treated and disease-free for appropriate time period for specific cancer
* No preexisting peripheral neuropathy greater than grade 1
* No known hypersensitivity to polysorbate 80

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* Not specified

Chemotherapy:

* At least 5 years since prior systemic chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 4 weeks since prior hydrocortisone
* No prior ketoconazole

Radiotherapy:

* At least 28 days since prior radiotherapy to primary site
* No prior palliative radiotherapy
* No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

* See Disease Characteristics

Other:

* Recovered form prior therapy
* At least 7 days since prior parenteral antibiotics for active infection
* No concurrent digitalis
* No concurrent H\_2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors (arm I only)
* Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed provided they were initiated prior to study therapy