Vaccine Therapy Plus Biological Therapy in Treating Patients With Prostate Cancer

Inclusion criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed prostate cancer * Biochemically progressive disease after primary surgery or radiotherapy with or without neoadjuvant androgen ablation * Greater than 50% increase in PSA level above baseline value of 1.0 ng/mL post-prostatectomy or 2.0 ng/mL post-radiotherapy, based on 3 successive determinations taken at 2-week intervals * Patients with prior intermittent hormonal therapy and non-castrate levels of testosterone are eligible * Evaluable disease * No radiographic evidence of metastasis * No active CNS or epidural tumor * No soft tissue and/or bone disease * No androgen-independence with no evidence of radiographic disease * May not be symptomatic or anticipated to develop symptoms within 6 months of study entry * Concurrent registration to protocol MSKCC-90-040 required PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and over Performance status: * Karnofsky 70-100% Life expectancy: * At least 6 months Hematopoietic: * WBC at least 3,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic: * Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL OR * SGOT less than 3 times upper limit of normal Renal: * Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL OR * Creatinine clearance at least 40 mL/min Cardiovascular: * No clinically significant cardiac disease (New York Heart Association class III or IV) Pulmonary: * No severe debilitating pulmonary disease Other: * No other prior malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer * No positive stool guaiac except hemorrhoids or history of documented radiation-induced proctitis * No narcotic-dependent pain * No infection requiring antibiotics * No requirement for immunosuppressive therapy * No allergy to seafood PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * Not specified Chemotherapy: * At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 2 weeks since change in hormonal therapy (except to maintain castrate levels of testosterone), including prednisone or dexamethasone * At least 8 weeks since prior suramin and/or documented plasma concentration * of suramin is less than 50 micrograms/mL (replacement hydrocortisone allowed) Radiotherapy: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy * No concurrent radiotherapy to only measurable lesion Surgery: * See Disease Characteristics * No concurrent surgery of only measurable lesion Other: * Recovered from prior therapy * No other concurrent oncolytic agents * No concurrent immunosuppressive therapy