Biological Therapy in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate

  * Evidence of androgen-independent disease

    * Patient must have received prior primary hormonal therapy (e.g., orchiectomy or gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog with or without antiandrogen)
    * Demonstrated disease progression by any 1 of the following:

      * Elevated PSA level (at least 5 ng/mL) that has serially risen from baseline on 2 occasions at least 1 week apart
      * At least 1 new osseous lesion on bone scan
      * More than 25% increase in the sum of the products of the perpendicular diameters of all bidimensionally measurable sites of disease
* No CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* Not specified

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

* At least 3 months

Hematopoietic:

* Not specified

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* SGPT no greater than 1.5 times ULN
* Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
* No active or chronic hepatitis B or C
* No other hepatic dysfunction that would preclude study

Renal:

* Creatinine less than 2.0 mg/dL
* Calcium less than 11 mg/dL
* No renal dysfunction that would preclude study
* No symptomatic hypercalcemia

Cardiovascular:

* No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

Pulmonary:

* No pulmonary disease requiring inhaled steroids or bronchodilators

Other:

* No history of HIV 1 or 2 or human T-cell lymphotrophic virus (HTLV) 1 or 2
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
* No history of autoimmune disease (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis)
* No other major organ system dysfunction
* No gastrointestinal, neurologic, or psychiatric dysfunction that would preclude study
* Human anti-mouse antibody negative

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* No concurrent growth factors, interleukin, interferons, or cytokines

Chemotherapy:

* No prior chemotherapy or other systemic chemotherapy agent for prostate or any other cancer

Endocrine therapy:

* Prior aminoglutethimide allowed
* At least 4 weeks since prior flutamide
* At least 6 weeks since prior bicalutamide or nilutamide
* Concurrent luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists should be continued
* No concurrent corticosteroids or dexamethasone
* No concurrent anti-androgens (e.g., flutamide, bicalutamide, or nilutamide)

Radiotherapy:

* At least 4 weeks since prior local radiotherapy
* No prior radiopharmaceutical therapy (e.g., strontium chloride Sr 89 or samarium Sm 153 lexidronam pentasodium)
* No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

* Not specified

Other:

* Prior ketoconazole or PC-SPES allowed
* At least 1 week since prior antibiotic, antifungal, or antiviral agents
* At least 4 weeks since other prior systemic therapy for prostate cancer (except bisphosphonates or hormonal therapy)
* At least 6 weeks since prior investigational drugs or devices
* No other concurrent therapy for this disease
* No concurrent participation in another clinical trial
* No concurrent bisphosphonates unless initiated prior to study
* No concurrent immunosuppressive drugs
* No other concurrent experimental therapies