Ketoconazole, Dexamethasone, and Hydrocortisone in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer That Did Not Respond to Androgen-Deprivation Therapy

OBJECTIVES: * To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of oral dexamethasone with and without oral ketoconazole in patients with androgen-independent prostate cancer. * To compare the pharmacokinetics of oral hydrocortisone with and without oral ketoconazole in these patients. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. * Arm I: Patients receive oral dexamethasone twice daily on days 1-14, oral ketoconazole 3 times daily on days 2-14 and 30-42, and oral hydrocortisone twice daily on days 29-42. * Arm II: Patients receive oral hydrocortisone twice daily on days 1-14, oral ketoconazole 3 times daily on days 2-14 and 30-42, and oral dexamethasone twice daily on days 29-42. In both arms, patients may receive ketoconazole and hydrocortisone as standard salvage therapy off study. In both arms, patients undergo blood sample collection on days 1, 14, 29, and 42 for pharmacokinetic studies.