Cilengitide in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * A histologic or cytologic diagnosis of prostate cancer * No evidence of metastatic disease, or local progression * PSA-only progression despite androgen deprivation therapy and antiandrogen withdrawal (28 days for flutamide and 42 days for bicalutamide or nilutamide); PSA progression is defined as 3 consecutive rising levels, with an interval of \> 1 week between each determination; the last determination must have a minimum value of \>= 2 ng/ml and be determined within two weeks prior to registration * If the third confirmatory value is less than the previous value, the patient will still be eligible if a repeat value (No. 4) is found to be greater than the second value * Patients must continue on LHRH agonists; they also may continue on any stable doses (considered stable, if on current medicine dosing for one month or longer) of megace or corticosteroids; they must be off all other therapies intended to treat the cancer for 4 weeks * ECOG performance status of 0-2 * No prior EMD 121974 therapy is allowed * No investigational or commercial agents or therapies may be administered with the intent to treat the patient's malignancy * Testosterone \< 50 ng/dl; patients must continue primary androgen deprivation with an LHRH agonist, if they have not undergone orchiectomy * Four weeks must have elapsed since major surgery * Life expectancy of greater than 6 months * Patients must have normal organ and marrow function as defined below obtained within 14 days prior to registration: * ANC \>= 1,500/µl * Platelet count \>= 100,000/ µl * Creatinine =\< 1.5 x upper limits of normal * Bilirubin within normal limits * SGOT (AST) =\< 2.5 x upper limits of normal * SGPT (ALT) =\< 2.5 x upper limits of normal * PSA \>= 2 ng/ml * The effects of EMD 121974 on the developing human fetus at the recommended therapeutic dose are unknown; for this reason and because antiangiogenic agents are known to be teratogenic, men must agree to use adequate contraception prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation * Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent that is approved by the Institutional Human Investigation Committee Exclusion Criteria: * Patients may continue on a daily Multi-Vitamin, but all other herbal, alternative and food supplements (i.e. PC-Spes, Saw Palmetto, St John Wort, etc.) must be discontinued before registration * Patients on stable doses of bisphosphonates which have been started no less than 6 weeks prior to protocol therapy, that show subsequent PSA progression, may continue on this medication, however patients are not allowed to initiate bisphosphonate therapy immediately prior or during the study * Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements * Patients with a "currently active" second malignancy, other than non-melanoma skin cancers or superficial bladder cancer, are not eligible; patients are not considered to have a "currently active" malignancy if they have completed therapy and are now considered without evidence of disease for 2 years