Calcitriol and Zoledronate in Treating Patients With Progressive Prostate Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed prior localized adenocarcinoma of the prostate that has undergone definitive radiation or surgery and demonstrates progression biochemically with all of the following:
• * Baseline PSA at least 4 ng/mL
• * At least a 50% increase in PSA over at least 3 determinations taken at more than 2 week intervals
• * No radiographically evident disease
• * Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy prior to radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy allowed
• * Treatment in an intermittent approach allowed if off therapy for at least 12 weeks OR
• Histologically confirmed androgen-independent adenocarcinoma of the prostate with all of the following:
• * Progression on primary hormonal treatment (e.g., orchiectomy, estrogen therapy, gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog with or without an antiandrogen) with either new osseous lesions in bone, a greater than 25% increase in bidimensionally measurable tumor mass, or rising PSA values (rising PSA on any 3 determinations taken at at least weekly intervals, to greater than 50% above baseline PSA) despite castrate levels of testosterone (no greater than 30 ng/mL)
• * If receiving antiandrogen as part of primary hormonal therapy, must meet criteria above for progression after discontinuation of antiandrogen
• * No change in hormonal therapy (including prednisone or dexamethasone) within the past 2 weeks
• * If no prior surgical orchiectomy, must continue on medical therapies to maintain castrate levels of testosterone
• * Prior chemotherapy, palliative radiotherapy, or radioisotope treatment allowed
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 70-100%
• Life expectancy:
• At least 3 months
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 3,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL OR
• SGOT less than 3 times upper limit of normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
• No history of nephrolithiasis
• Must have 2 functioning kidneys
• Cardiovascular:
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
• Pulmonary:
• No severe debilitating pulmonary disease
• Metabolic:
• No pre-existing endocrine or metabolic disorders that impact calcium regulatory axis including hypercalcemia (ionized serum calcium greater than 5.3 mg/dL or total calcium greater than 10.5 mg/dL) or hypercalciuria (greater than 300 mg urinary calcium/24 hours)
• Other:
• No active secondary malignancy except nonmelanoma skin cancer
• Must maintain low calcium diet (less than 800 mg calcium daily)
• No uncontrolled serious active infection
• No history of malabsorption disorders
• No history of inflammatory bowel disease
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior endocrine therapy
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent radiotherapy to sole measurable lesion
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior surgery
• No concurrent surgery to sole measurable lesion
• Other:
• No other concurrent cholecalciferol