Docetaxel With or Without Oblimersen in Treating Patients With Hormone-Refractory Adenocarcinoma (Cancer) of the Prostate

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate
• Hormone-refractory disease
• * Disease progression after prior hormonal therapy with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) analogues or orchiectomy and antiandrogens (given together or consecutively)
• Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression documented by at least 2 increases in PSA values over previous PSA reference value
• * Must demonstrate continued PSA elevation for at least 6 weeks after discontinuation of antiandrogen therapy
• PSA ≥ 5 ng/mL (Hybritech or equivalent) within the past week
• Testosterone ≤ 0.5 ng/mL\* NOTE: \*Patients with medical castration with LH-RH analogue must continue with LH-RH analogue throughout the study
• No evidence of painful and/or destructive bone metastases requiring concurrent radiotherapy, bisphosphonates, or bone-seeking radionuclides
• * Other bone metastases allowed
• No clinical evidence of brain metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• WHO 0-2
• Life expectancy
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• WBC ≥ 3,500/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL
• Hepatic
• AST and ALT ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin ≤ ULN
• PTT and PT ≤ 1.5 times ULN OR
• INR ≤ 1.3
• Renal
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN OR
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min
• Cardiovascular
• No unstable angina
• No uncontrolled hypertension
• No deep venous thrombosis within the past 6 months
• No cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attack, or myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• Pulmonary
• No pulmonary embolism
• No history of interstitial pneumonitis
• No history of pulmonary fibrosis
• Other
• Adequate venous access
• HIV negative
• No active infection
• No pre-existing neuropathy
• No hypersensitivity to phosphorothioates
• No hypersensitivity to oligonucleotides or any other component of the oblimersen formulation or to drugs formulated with polysorbate
• No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition that would preclude study compliance
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated superficial urothelial or skin cancer
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy
• Prior estramustine allowed
• No other prior chemotherapy
• No concurrent estramustine
• Endocrine therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 6 weeks since prior flutamide, bicalutamide, or nilutamide
• More than 6 weeks since prior hormonal manipulation with PC-SPES
• Concurrent LH-RH agonist allowed
• No concurrent antiandrogens
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior radiotherapy involving \> 25% of marrow-producing area
• No prior bone-seeking radionuclides
• No concurrent radiotherapy (including palliative therapy for painful bone metastases)
• No concurrent bone-seeking radionuclides
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• Other
• Prior bisphosphonates allowed
• No concurrent anticoagulation except for low-dose warfarin (1 mg/day)
• No concurrent regular (daily) intake of opioid analgesics
• No other concurrent experimental drugs or anticancer drugs
• No concurrent bisphosphonates