17-AAG in Treating Patients With Metastatic Prostate Cancer That Did Not Respond to Previous Hormone Therapy

Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate

  * Metastatic disease
* Measurable or evaluable disease

  * Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) ≥ 5 ng/mL OR new areas of bony metastases on bone scan are required for patients with no measurable disease
* Objective disease progression OR rising PSA despite receiving androgen deprivation therapy and undergoing antiandrogen withdrawal

  * Patients with a rising PSA must have 2 successive elevations (measured ≥ 1 week apart)
* Must be castrate (testosterone \< 50 ng/mL)

  * Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist therapy must be continued during study participation to maintain castrate levels of testosterone
* Must have received ≥ 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease
* No known brain metastases requiring active therapy

  * Previously treated asymptomatic brain metastases allowed
* Performance status - ECOG 0-2
* At least 12 weeks
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* SGOT and/or SGPT ≤ 2.5 times ULN AND alkaline phosphatase normal
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 4 times ULN AND SGOT and/or SGPT normal
* Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
* Creatinine normal
* QTc \< 450 msec for male patients
* LVEF \> 40% by MUGA
* EF normal by MUGA if prior anthracycline therapy
* No congenital long QT syndrome
* No left bundle branch block
* Deep venous thrombosis or other clinically significant thromboembolic event within the past 6 months allowed provided patient is clinically stable on anticoagulation therapy
* No history of serious ventricular arrhythmia (i.e., ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation ≥ 3 beats in a row)
* No myocardial infarction within the past year
* No cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attack within the past 6 months
* No New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure
* No poorly controlled angina
* No uncontrolled dysrhythmia or dysrhythmias requiring medication
* No active ischemic heart disease within the past 12 months
* No other significant cardiac disease
* Pulmonary embolus allowed within the past 6 months provided patient is clinically stable on anticoagulation therapy
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* Willing and able to provide blood samples
* No serious allergy (i.e., hypotension, dyspnea, anaphylaxis, or edema) to eggs
* No other concurrent malignancy or history of a curatively treated malignancy with a survival prognosis of \< 5 years
* No known HIV positivity
* No active infection
* No other severe acute or chronic medical or psychiatric condition or laboratory abnormality that would preclude study participation
* At least 4 weeks since prior flutamide (6 weeks for bicalutamide or nilutamide)
* At least 28 days since prior radiotherapy
* No prior radiotherapy field that included the heart (e.g., mantle)
* More than 6 months since prior coronary or peripheral artery bypass grafting
* More than 28 days since prior investigational agents for prostate cancer
* No concurrent agents that interact with cytochrome P450 3A4
* No concurrent warfarin for anticoagulation

  * Concurrent low molecular weight heparin injection allowed
* No concurrent medications that would prolong QTc
* No other concurrent antineoplastic agents
* Concurrent zoledronate for bone metastases or hypercalcemia allowed