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

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