Hsp90 Inhibitor STA-9090 in Treating Patients With Metastatic Hormone-Resistant Prostate Cancer Previously Treated With Docetaxel-Based Chemotherapy

Inclusion Criteria

• •Pathologically confirmed diagnosis of prostate adenocarcinoma with metastasis and objective progression or rising PSA despite androgen deprivation therapy and antiandrogen withdrawal when applicable
• •Progression after docetaxel based chemotherapy is needed as follows:
• •a) If measurable disease present, then either rising PSA, increase in size of the lesion/s or both should be present
• •b) Patients with rising PSA only as progression must demonstrate a rising trend with 2 successive elevations at minimum intervals of 1 week; a minimum PSA of 5 ng/ml, or new areas of bony metastases on bone scan are required for patients with no measurable disease; no minimum PSA requirement for patients with measurable disease
• •Patients should have received at least one prior docetaxel based regimen for metastatic disease; no maximum prior therapy
• •Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status 0 to 2
• •Life expectancy of at least 3 months
• •Prior radiation therapy or chemotherapy completed at least 28 days prior to enrollment
• •All patients must be documented to be castrate with a testosterone level =\< 0.5 ng/ml; luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist therapy must be continued, if required to maintain castrate levels of testosterone; patients must be off antiandrogens for a minimum of 4 weeks for flutamide and 6 weeks for bicalutamide or nilutamide
• •Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500 cells/uL
• •Platelets \>= 100,000/uL
• •Hemoglobin \>= 9.0 g/dL
• •Total bilirubin =\< 1.5 x ULN
• •For patients without documented bone metastases or for patients with liver metastases: transaminases (aspartate aminotransferase \[AST\]/serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\] and/or alanine aminotransferase (ALT)/serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase \[SGPT\]) may be up to 2.5 x institutional ULN if alkaline phosphatase is =\< ULN, or alkaline phosphatase may be up to 4 x ULN if transaminases are =\< ULN
• •For patients with documented bone metastases, the transaminases (AST/SGOT and/or ALT/SGPT) should be less than 2.5 x institutional ULN, without regard to the alkaline phosphatase level
• •Sexually active males must use measures to prevent pregnancy in their partners while on STA-9090
• •Willingness and ability to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plans, laboratory tests, and other study procedures
• •Ability to understand and willingness to sign a written informed consent document