Androgen Ablation Therapy With or Without Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate

  * Biochemically relapsed prostate cancer
* Must have received primary therapy (i.e., radical prostatectomy, definitive radiotherapy, brachytherapy, or cryotherapy)

  * If patient has a rising PSA after radical prostatectomy, salvage radiotherapy must have been offered
* Evidence of biochemical progression as determined by 3 PSA measurements, each higher than the previous value and meeting the following criteria:

  * The second PSA (PSA2) must be obtained at least 8 weeks after the first (PSA1)
  * The third PSA (PSA3) must be obtained at least 2 weeks after the PSA2 and within the past 4 weeks
  * The PSA3 must be \> 2.0 ng/mL and ≤ 20 ng/mL
* Must not have received more than 1 course of prior androgen ablation, defined as treatment with a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist resulting in a castrate testosterone level AND a PSA nadir ≤ 0.1 followed by subsequent withdrawal of androgen ablation and recovery of testosterone to a non-castrate level
* No evidence of metastatic disease on radionuclide bone scan and CT scan performed within the past 8 weeks

  * Retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy ≤ 2 cm is not considered metastatic for purposes of this study

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-1
* WBC \> 2,500/mm³
* ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Hemoglobin \> 9.0 g/dL
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Serum creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
* Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* PT/INR ≤ 1.3
* Serum testosterone normal
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No active autoimmune disease or history of autoimmune disease requiring treatment with systemic immunosuppression including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  * Inflammatory bowel disease
  * Systemic lupus erythematosus
  * Systemic vasculitis
  * Scleroderma
  * Multiple sclerosis
  * Hemolytic anemia
  * Sjögren syndrome
  * Sarcoidosis
* No known active infection
* No uncontrolled concurrent illness including, but not limited to, any of the following:

  * Systemic congestive heart failure
  * Unstable angina pectoris
  * Cardiac arrhythmia
  * Psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
* No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to leuprolide acetate, bicalutamide, or sargramostim (GM-CSF)
* No known sensitivity to materials of bovine origin
* No hypersensitivity to GM-CSF or to any of the other components of CG1940/CG8711, which includes fetal bovine serum, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and hydroxyethyl starch and may include small amounts of porcine trypsin and DNase

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent systemic corticosteroids

  * Use of inhaled corticosteroids for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is permitted
* More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent chemotherapy or other cancer therapy
* More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent use of herbal products (e.g., saw palmetto or PC-SPES)
* At least 4 weeks since prior and no other concurrent investigational agents
* No other concurrent anticancer commercial agents or therapies
* Prior androgen ablation administered concomitantly with primary radiotherapy allowed