Paclitaxel Poliglumex and Estradiol in Treating Patients With Stage IV Prostate Cancer

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel poliglumex, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Estradiol may kill prostate cancer cells that no longer respond to hormone therapy. Giving paclitaxel poliglumex together with estradiol may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving paclitaxel poliglumex together with estradiol works in treating patients with stage IV prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Primary * Determine the PSA response rate in patients with androgen independent metastatic prostate cancer treated with paclitaxel poliglumex and transdermal estradiol. Secondary * Determine the toxicity of this regimen in these patients. * Determine the response rate in patients treated with this regimen. * Determine the time to PSA progression and measurable disease progression in patients treated with this regimen. * Determine time to death from all causes in patients treated with this regimen. * Correlate levels of serum estradiol, serum cathepsin B, and bone turnover markers with PSA response in patients treated with this regimen. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients receive transdermal estradiol continuously (patches changed every 7 days) until the PSA level rises. Patients whose PSA increases above baseline or PSA decreases \< 10% after 4 weeks of estradiol therapy or whose serum PSA reduction is \< 50% after 12 weeks of estradiol therapy also receive paclitaxel poliglumex therapy. These patients receive paclitaxel poliglumex IV over 10-20 minutes on day 1. Treatment with paclitaxel poliglumex repeats every 28 days for up to 10 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study therapy, patients are followed every 6 months. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 50 patients will be accrued for this study.