Radiation Therapy and Ixabepilone in Treating Patients With High-Risk Stage III Prostate Cancer After Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the prostate

  * Must have undergone any common form of prostatectomy (e.g., open, perineal, laparoscopic, or robotic) within the past 2 years
  * T3 disease or positive surgical margins
  * Node negative (N0) and free of distant metastasis (M0) by a bone scan and CT scan or MRI of the pelvis within the past 90 days
  * Considered high-risk disease
* Gleason score = 7 and post-operative PSA \> 0 and ≤ 2 ng/mL OR Gleason score ≥ 8 and post-operative PSA ≥ 0 and ≤ 2 ng/mL
* Pre-prostatectomy PSA available

  * Range of pre-prostatectomy PSA values not required

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Zubrod (ECOG) performance status 0-1
* ANC ≥ 2,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL
* Total bilirubin \< 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST and ALT \< 2.5 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase \< 2.5 times ULN
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 weeks after completion of study therapy
* Patients with urinary incontinence waiting for stabilization of urinary function after prostatectomy allowed for up to 6 months
* No CTCv4 peripheral neuropathy (motor or sensory) ≥ grade 1
* No history of inflammatory colitis including Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis
* No significant history of psychiatric illness
* No other invasive malignancy within the past 3 years except adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the oral cavity
* No severe, active co-morbidity with any of the following:

  * Unstable angina and/or congestive heart failure requiring hospitalization within the past 6 months
  * Transmural myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
  * Acute bacterial or fungal infection requiring IV antibiotics
  * Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation or other respiratory illness requiring hospitalization or precluding study therapy within 30 days
  * Immunocompromised patients or AIDS based upon current CDC definition

    * HIV testing not required
* No history of hypersensitivity reactions to agents containing Cremophor® EL or its derivatives (e.g., polyoxyethylated castor oil)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No prior pelvic radiotherapy or radiotherapy for another malignancy that encompasses ≥ 30% of major bone marrow-containing areas (e.g., pelvis or lumbar spine)
* No prior hormonal therapy for prostate cancer

  * Prior hormonal agents, e.g., finasteride or dutasteride, for benign prostatic hypertrophy allowed
* No other concurrent adjuvant antineoplastic therapy planned while on this protocol, including the following:

  * Cryotherapy
  * Hormonal therapy
  * Other chemotherapy for prostate cancer

    * Prior chemotherapy for a different type of cancer allowed provided it was administered \> 3 years ago