S0354, Anti-IL-6 Chimeric Monoclonal Antibody in Patients With Metastatic Prostate Cancer That Did Not Respond to Hormone Therapy

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate * Metastatic disease (N1 and/or M1) * Disease unresponsive or refractory to androgen-deprivation therapy * Must have received only 1 prior chemotherapy regimen comprising a taxane OR mitoxantrone * Disease progression as defined by one or more of the following: * Progression of measurable disease * Prior radiotherapy allowed provided radiotherapy was completed ≥ 2 months ago and lesion progressed since radiotherapy * Progression of nonmeasurable disease * Prior radiotherapy within the past 2 months allowed, but disease is considered nonmeasurable * Rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) after \> 2 courses of chemotherapy OR within 6 months of last chemotherapy dose * Rising PSA defined as at least 2 consecutive rises in PSA to be documented over a reference value (measure 1) * PSA ≥ 5 ng/mL * Surgical or medical castration required * Castration using luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist (leuprolide acetate or goserelin) or antagonist (abarelix) should not be interrupted * No history of brain metastases OR currently treated or untreated brain metastases * Patients with clinical suspicion of brain metastases must have a brain CT scan or MRI negative for metastatic disease within the past 56 days PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Zubrod performance status 0-2 * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm³ (transfusion independent) * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³ (transfusion independent) * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL (transfusion independent) * Creatinine clearance ≥ 40 mL/min * Bilirubin ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 2 times ULN * No uncontrolled intercurrent illnesses including, but not limited to, the following: * Diabetes mellitus * Ongoing or active infection * Symptomatic congestive heart failure * Unstable angina pectoris * Cardiac arrhythmia * No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance * No known HIV positivity * No other prior malignancy except for the following: * Adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer * Adequately treated stage I or II cancer in complete remission * Any other cancer from which the patient has been disease-free for 5 years PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 21 days since prior surgery and recovered * At least 28 days since prior chemotherapy and recovered * At least 28 days since prior flutamide or ketoconazole * At least 28 days since prior radiotherapy (to \< 30% of the bone marrow only) and recovered * Prior samarium Sm 153 lexidronam pentasodium allowed * No prior strontium chloride Sr 89 * At least 42 days since prior bicalutamide or nilutamide * More than 60 days since prior murine or chimeric proteins or human/murine monoclonal antibody * Concurrent bisphosphonate therapy allowed provided the following are true: * Therapy commenced at least 3 weeks ago * Therapy continues for the entire duration of study treatment * No other concurrent anticancer therapy, including cytotoxic therapy, biologic therapy, radiotherapy, or hormonal therapy (except for luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist or antagonist in patients who have not had an orchiectomy)