Adjuvant Radiation Therapy Plus Hormone Therapy Compared With Radiation Therapy Alone in Treating Patients With Stage II or Stage III Prostate Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed prostate cancer
• * T2-3, N0, M0
• * No metastatic disease
• High-risk for PSA relapse as defined by Gleason score 7 or higher and ≥ 1 of the following OR Gleason score \< 7 and ≥ 2 of the following:
• * Preoperative PSA \> 10 ng/mL
• * Positive surgical margins
• * Seminal vesicle invasion
• Preoperative PSA ≤ 40.0 ng/mL
• Postoperative PSA ≤ 0.2 ng/mL
• Negative lymph node status by lymph node sampling or dissection
• * If lymph node status is unknown, must have \< 5% risk of involvement by Roach formula
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• Not specified
• Performance status:
• Zubrod 0-1
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 130,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 11.4 g/dL
• Hepatic:
• ALT ≤ 3 times normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine ≤ 2.5 mg/dL
• Other:
• No other prior or concurrent invasive malignancy within the past 5 years except superficial nonmelanoma skin cancer
• No other major medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude study compliance
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy:
• At least 5 years since prior chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• At least 60 days since prior finasteride
• At least 90 days since prior testosterone
• Prior pharmacologic androgen ablation for prostate cancer allowed if initiated within the past 10 months (must switch to study ablation therapy OR discontinue therapy if randomized to receive radiotherapy only)
• Radiotherapy:
• No prior radiotherapy to the pelvis
• No concurrent intensity-modulated radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• No prior orchiectomy