Radical Prostatectomy in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate * Unilateral cT3a, cN0, M0 * Well or moderately differentiated tumor * Gleason score no greater than 7 (4 plus 3 or 3 plus 4) * Total serum prostate-specific antigen no greater than 20 ng/mL (Hybritech equivalent) PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 70 and under Performance status: * WHO 0-1 Life expectancy: * Not specified Hematopoietic: * WBC greater than 3,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin greater than 9 g/dL Hepatic: * Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times normal * ALT or AST less than 3 times normal * PT and PTT normal Renal: * Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL Cardiovascular: * No preexisting uncontrolled cardiac disease, signs of cardiac failure, or rhythm disturbances requiring therapy * No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months Pulmonary: * No gross abnormalities on chest x-ray Other: * No other disease that would preclude surgery * No other prior malignancy except adequately treated basal cell skin cancer * No other concurrent primary malignancy * No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition that would preclude compliance PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * Not specified Chemotherapy: * Not specified Endocrine therapy: * No prior hormonal therapy that would affect assessment of clinical T staging, margin positivity, or definitive pT staging Radiotherapy: * No prior pelvic radiotherapy that would affect surgical resectability and perioperative morbidity Surgery: * No prior surgery in the small pelvis (vascular surgery, mesh graft hernia repair, any surgery for benign prostatic hypertrophy, or transurethral resection of prostate) that would preclude prostatectomy