GM-CSF Before Surgery in Treating Patients With Localized Prostate Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate
• * No neuroendocrine or small cell features
• No evidence of metastatic disease
• Planning radical prostatectomy at least 2 months from now
• Testosterone level normal
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1 or Karnofsky PS 70-100%
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL
• AST and ALT ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• PT and PTT normal
• Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception
• No history of allergic reaction to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to sargramostim (GM-CSF)
• No ongoing or active bacterial, viral, or fungal infection
• DLCO \> 50% if patient has a history of clinically significant obstructive airway disease
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• No other active malignancy, defined as cancer for which therapy has been completed and patient is now considered \< 30% risk of relapse, except nonmelanoma skin cancer
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No other uncontrolled illness
• No underlying medical condition that, in the opinion of the principal investigator, may make the administration of GM-CSF hazardous or obscure the interpretation of adverse events
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery
• No prior radiotherapy, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, or other investigational therapy for this cancer
• No prior hormonal therapy including any of the following:
• * Luteinizing-hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists
• * LHRH antagonists
• * Antiandrogens, including any of the following:
• * Bilcalutamide
• * Flutamide
• * Nilutamide
• * 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors
• * PC-SPES or other PC-x product
• * Estrogen-containing nutriceuticals
• No concurrent chemotherapy or radiotherapy
• No concurrent systemic steroid therapy
• * Concurrent inhaled or topical steroids allowed
• No other concurrent immunotherapy
• No other concurrent investigational agent
• No other concurrent anticancer agents or therapies