Hormone Therapy in Treating Patients With Advanced Prostate Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate
• * T1c-T2a-b, N1-2 or pN1-2 (after pelvic lymphadenectomy)
• * T2c-T4, N0-2
• Prior external radiotherapy for locally advanced prostatic carcinoma required
• Prior hormone therapy (6 months of combined androgen blockade) for locally advanced prostatic carcinoma required with PSA no greater than 150 ng/mL before administration
• No progressive disease after the 6 months of combined androgen blockage
• No stages T1c/T2a-b with a negative pelvic lymph nodes status that is assessed clinically or surgically
• No lymph node involvement to common iliac and/or periaortic lymph nodes (M1a)
• No external iliac lymph node metastasis more than 5 cm in greatest dimension (N3)
• No distant metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• Any age
• Performance status:
• WHO 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• At least 5 years
• Hematopoietic:
• Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL
• WBC at least 2,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Not specified
• Renal:
• Not specified
• Other:
• No prior or concurrent cancers other than basal cell skin cancer
• No serious nonmalignant disease resulting in a life expectancy of less than 5 years
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• No prior biologic therapy for prostate cancer
• Chemotherapy
• No prior chemotherapy for prostate cancer
• Endocrine therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics