Docetaxel and Prednisone With/Out OGX-011 in Recurrent or Metastatic Prostate Cancer That Did Not Respond to Previous Hormone Therapy

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as docetaxel and prednisone, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. OGX-011 may help docetaxel and prednisone kill more tumor cells by making tumor cells less resistant to the drugs. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying how well giving docetaxel and prednisone with or without OGX-011 works in treating patients with recurrent or metastatic prostate cancer that did not respond to previous hormone therapy.