Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid in Treating Patients With Nonmetastatic Relapsed Prostate Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed prostate cancer, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

  * Androgen-dependent disease (testosterone ≥ 250 ng/mL)
  * Androgen-independent disease (testosterone \< 50 ng/mL)
* Received prior definitive therapy for primary prostate cancer comprising any of the following:

  * External-beam radiotherapy with or without hormonal therapy
  * Brachytherapy with or without pelvic external-beam radiotherapy or hormonal therapy
  * Radical prostatectomy with or without adjuvant or salvage radiotherapy
  * Cryotherapy
* Must have evidence of disease progression, as evidenced by elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) that has risen serially from post-definitive therapy nadir on 2 determinations taken ≥ 1 week apart

  * Elevated PSA, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

    * At least 1.0 ng/mL post radiotherapy or cryotherapy
    * At least 4 ng/mL post radical prostatectomy
  * Must show disease progression after discontinuation of the antiandrogen (for patients with androgen-dependent disease receiving antiandrogen as part of primary androgen ablation)
* No metastatic disease, confirmed by negative bone scan and negative CT scan or MRI of abdomen/pelvis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Karnofsky performance status 70-100%
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Hemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* AST ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* No other medical condition that would interfere with study therapy or compliance
* No other active malignancy except previously treated squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer or cancer that has been treated and considered to be at \< 30% risk of relapse
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* More than 8 weeks since prior strontium-chloride Sr 89
* More than 4 weeks since first dose of bisphosphonates
* More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery or radiotherapy
* At least 4 weeks since prior hormonal agents, including megestrol or steroids

  * Concurrent luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogs allowed to maintain castrate levels of testosterone
* At least 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent saw palmetto, finasteride, or any herbal agent intended to lower PSA
* Prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy allowed for androgen-dependent prostate cancer provided that all of the following are met:

  * No more than 8 months of androgen deprivation
  * At least 12 months since last day of effective androgen deprivation
  * Testosterone \> 250 ng/mL at enrollment
* Prior hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, or investigational therapy for biochemical relapse allowed
* No concurrent chemotherapeutic, immunotherapeutic, or other investigational agents
* No concurrent radiotherapy
* No concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF)