Exemestane With or Without Bicalutamide in Treating Patients With Stage IV Prostate Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed stage IV adenocarcinoma of the prostate
• Documented disease progression based on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression during first-line androgen suppression (luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist or orchiectomy)
• * PSA progression is defined by the following:
• * Interval of at least 1 week between reference value (time point value 1) and the next PSA level (time point value 2)
• * PSA at time point value 3 is greater than PSA at time point value 2 OR
• * PSA at time point value 3 is not greater than PSA at time point value 2, but PSA at time point value 4 is greater than PSA at time point value 2
• PSA at least 5 ng/mL
• Must continue primary androgen suppression if no prior surgical castration
• No known leptomeningeal or brain metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• WHO 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 3,500/mm\^3
• Neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT no greater than 2.5 times ULN
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• Other:
• No acute concurrent severe infection
• No other concurrent significant disease that would preclude study therapy
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• No prior antibody or gene therapy
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior cytostatic agents
• Endocrine therapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior estramustine
• No prior antiandrogens (e.g., bicalutamide)
• No concurrent estrogen-containing medicine
• Radiotherapy:
• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy to more than 1 field
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Other:
• At least 4 weeks since prior investigational drugs