Epoetin Alfa With or Without Dexamethasone in Treating Fatigue and Anemia in Patients With Hormone-Refractory Prostate Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed prostate cancer
• * Hormone-refractory disease as evidenced by progression on bone scan or CT scan with a rising prostate-specific antigen
• Prior bilateral orchiectomy OR other primary hormonal therapy (e.g., estrogen therapy or luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analog \[LHRH\] and flutamide) with evidence of treatment failure
• * Concurrent continual LHRH agonist therapy (e.g., depot leuprolide or goserelin) required for patients who have not undergone bilateral orchiectomy
• Must have anemia with hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL and \< 12 g/dL within the past 14 days
• Must be iron replete (i.e., ferritin \> 50 ng/mL) within the past 30 days
• Presence of fatigue with usual fatigue severity ≥ 3 on the 0-10 numerical scale of the Brief Fatigue Inventory within the past 14 days
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-3
• Life expectancy
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic
• See Disease Characteristics
• No disseminated intravascular coagulation
• No autoimmune hemolytic anemia
• Hepatic
• AST and ALT ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal
• No prior hemochromatosis or iron intolerance
• Renal
• Creatinine \< 2.5 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular
• Adequate blood pressure (i.e., systolic blood pressure \< 140 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure \< 90 mm Hg) (treated or untreated)
• No history of thromboembolic events
• No unstable angina
• No poorly controlled cardiac disease
• Other
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Able to read, understand, and answer questions on the symptom and quality of life study instruments
• No ongoing chronic hemorrhage (e.g., gross hematuria due to advanced prostate cancer)\* NOTE: \*Microscopic hematuria allowed
• No acute or subacute illness that may require transfusion
• No gastrointestinal bleeding
• No active systemic infection
• No known or suspected hypersensitivity to human albumin
• No known or suspected hypersensitivity to mammalian cell-derived products
• No uncontrolled diabetes
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• More than 30 days since prior epoetin alfa
• Chemotherapy
• More than 21 days since prior chemotherapy
• No more than 2 different types of prior chemotherapy regimens for hormone-refractory prostate cancer
• Endocrine therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 30 days since prior corticosteroids for hormone-refractory prostate cancer
• * Episodic use of low-dose steroids for other causes is allowed
• Radiotherapy
• More than 21 days since prior radiotherapy
• Concurrent radiotherapy allowed
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• Other
• More than 8 weeks since prior blood transfusion
• No concurrent oral or intravenous antibiotics