OBJECTIVES:
* Determine the efficacy of arsenic trioxide in patients with metastatic stage IVA or IVB hormone-refractory prostate cancer.
* Determine the toxicity of this drug in this patient population.
* Assess, in a preliminary manner, the effect of this drug on pain control in these patients.
* Assess the potential value of serial quantitative prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) mRNA determinations in RNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells as surrogate markers of disease response in patients treated with this drug.
* Assess the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of this drug in these patients.
* Assess the feasibility of using pretreatment bone marrow evaluation of PSA and PMSA mRNA levels and pi class glutathione S-transferase expression (i.e., eliminate glutathione levels) as potential correlates of disease response in patients treated with this drug.
OUTLINE: Patients receive arsenic trioxide IV over 2 hours on days 1-5 and 8-12 for one course. Treatment continues as biweekly infusions for at least 14 additional weeks in the absence of disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or excessive increase in serum prostate-specific antigen.
Pain is assessed at baseline and then before each biweekly treatment.
PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 17-37 patients will be accrued for this study within 12-24 months.
