Cilengitide in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* A histologic or cytologic diagnosis of prostate cancer
* No evidence of metastatic disease, or local progression
* PSA-only progression despite androgen deprivation therapy and antiandrogen withdrawal (28 days for flutamide and 42 days for bicalutamide or nilutamide); PSA progression is defined as 3 consecutive rising levels, with an interval of \> 1 week between each determination; the last determination must have a minimum value of \>= 2 ng/ml and be determined within two weeks prior to registration

  * If the third confirmatory value is less than the previous value, the patient will still be eligible if a repeat value (No. 4) is found to be greater than the second value
* Patients must continue on LHRH agonists; they also may continue on any stable doses (considered stable, if on current medicine dosing for one month or longer) of megace or corticosteroids; they must be off all other therapies intended to treat the cancer for 4 weeks
* ECOG performance status of 0-2
* No prior EMD 121974 therapy is allowed
* No investigational or commercial agents or therapies may be administered with the intent to treat the patient's malignancy
* Testosterone \< 50 ng/dl; patients must continue primary androgen deprivation with an LHRH agonist, if they have not undergone orchiectomy
* Four weeks must have elapsed since major surgery
* Life expectancy of greater than 6 months
* Patients must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below obtained within 14 days prior to registration:
* ANC \>= 1,500/µl
* Platelet count \>= 100,000/ µl
* Creatinine =\< 1.5 x upper limits of normal
* Bilirubin within normal limits
* SGOT (AST) =\< 2.5 x upper limits of normal
* SGPT (ALT) =\< 2.5 x upper limits of normal
* PSA \>= 2 ng/ml
* The effects of EMD 121974 on the developing human fetus at the recommended therapeutic dose are unknown; for this reason and because antiangiogenic agents are known to be teratogenic, men must agree to use adequate contraception prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation
* Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent that is approved by the Institutional Human Investigation Committee

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients may continue on a daily Multi-Vitamin, but all other herbal, alternative and food supplements (i.e. PC-Spes, Saw Palmetto, St John Wort, etc.) must be discontinued before registration
* Patients on stable doses of bisphosphonates which have been started no less than 6 weeks prior to protocol therapy, that show subsequent PSA progression, may continue on this medication, however patients are not allowed to initiate bisphosphonate therapy immediately prior or during the study
* Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
* Patients with a "currently active" second malignancy, other than non-melanoma skin cancers or superficial bladder cancer, are not eligible; patients are not considered to have a "currently active" malignancy if they have completed therapy and are now considered without evidence of disease for 2 years