Radiation Therapy and Ixabepilone in Treating Patients With High-Risk Stage III Prostate Cancer After Surgery

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the prostate
• * Must have undergone any common form of prostatectomy (e.g., open, perineal, laparoscopic, or robotic) within the past 2 years
• * T3 disease or positive surgical margins
• * Node negative (N0) and free of distant metastasis (M0) by a bone scan and CT scan or MRI of the pelvis within the past 90 days
• * Considered high-risk disease
• Gleason score = 7 and post-operative PSA \> 0 and ≤ 2 ng/mL OR Gleason score ≥ 8 and post-operative PSA ≥ 0 and ≤ 2 ng/mL
• Pre-prostatectomy PSA available
• * Range of pre-prostatectomy PSA values not required
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Zubrod (ECOG) performance status 0-1
• ANC ≥ 2,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL
• Total bilirubin \< 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT \< 2.5 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase \< 2.5 times ULN
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 weeks after completion of study therapy
• Patients with urinary incontinence waiting for stabilization of urinary function after prostatectomy allowed for up to 6 months
• No CTCv4 peripheral neuropathy (motor or sensory) ≥ grade 1
• No history of inflammatory colitis including Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis
• No significant history of psychiatric illness
• No other invasive malignancy within the past 3 years except adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the oral cavity
• No severe, active co-morbidity with any of the following:
• * Unstable angina and/or congestive heart failure requiring hospitalization within the past 6 months
• * Transmural myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• * Acute bacterial or fungal infection requiring IV antibiotics
• * Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation or other respiratory illness requiring hospitalization or precluding study therapy within 30 days
• * Immunocompromised patients or AIDS based upon current CDC definition
• * HIV testing not required
• No history of hypersensitivity reactions to agents containing Cremophor® EL or its derivatives (e.g., polyoxyethylated castor oil)
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior pelvic radiotherapy or radiotherapy for another malignancy that encompasses ≥ 30% of major bone marrow-containing areas (e.g., pelvis or lumbar spine)
• No prior hormonal therapy for prostate cancer
• * Prior hormonal agents, e.g., finasteride or dutasteride, for benign prostatic hypertrophy allowed
• No other concurrent adjuvant antineoplastic therapy planned while on this protocol, including the following:
• * Cryotherapy
• * Hormonal therapy
• * Other chemotherapy for prostate cancer
• * Prior chemotherapy for a different type of cancer allowed provided it was administered \> 3 years ago