Hormone Therapy Compared With Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate that was continuously treated with androgen suppression * Rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA), defined as PSA \> 5 ng/mL, rising on 2 consecutive measurements at least 4 weeks apart * Gleason score 7 or higher and/or seminal vesicle involvement at diagnosis * Patients previously treated with antiandrogen or glucocorticoid therapy must meet the following criteria: * Must show a continued rise in PSA after stopping antiandrogen (flutamide, bicalutamide, or nilutamide) or glucocorticoid (dexamethasone or prednisone) * At least 4 weeks continued rise in PSA after flutamide or nilutamide (6 weeks for bicalutamide) * Testosterone less than 50 ng/dL * Patients who have not undergone surgical castration must continue primary androgen suppression to maintain castrate levels of testosterone * No progressive or measurable local or metastatic disease (including bone metastases) PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and over Performance status: * ECOG 0-1 Life expectancy: * Not specified Hematopoietic: * Granulocyte count at least 2,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic: * SGOT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal * Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL Renal: * Creatinine no greater than 1.7 mg/dL Cardiovascular: * No American Heart Association class III or IV heart disease * No uncontrolled congestive heart failure * No life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias Other: * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No other prior malignancy unless curatively treated and disease-free for appropriate time period for specific cancer * No preexisting peripheral neuropathy greater than grade 1 * No known hypersensitivity to polysorbate 80 PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * Not specified Chemotherapy: * At least 5 years since prior systemic chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 4 weeks since prior hydrocortisone * No prior ketoconazole Radiotherapy: * At least 28 days since prior radiotherapy to primary site * No prior palliative radiotherapy * No concurrent radiotherapy Surgery: * See Disease Characteristics Other: * Recovered form prior therapy * At least 7 days since prior parenteral antibiotics for active infection * No concurrent digitalis * No concurrent H\_2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors (arm I only) * Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed provided they were initiated prior to study therapy