Intervention: Perifosine
Trial phase: Phase 2
SMILES: CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCOP(=O)([O-])OC1CC[N+](C)(C)CC1
Sex: Male
Age groups: Adult | Older Adult
Healthy volunteers: No
Participants at risk: 25
Group description: Patients receive oral perifosine 100 mg once daily on days 1-28. On day 1 of course 1 only, patients receive 2 doses of oral perifosine at 450 mg. Courses repeat every 28 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with progressive disease by PSA alone may receive up to 3 additional courses of therapy after documentation of progression.

perifosine: Given orally

laboratory biomarker analysis: Correlative studies
Eligibility criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

Patients must have histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the prostate
Patients must have a rising PSA >= 2.0 following a nadir after local curative therapy (either radical prostatectomy and/or pelvic radiation) with no clinical or radiographic evidence of metastatic disease; PSA >= 2.0 elevation must be confirmed by two consecutive increases, each measured at least 2 weeks apart; only patients with a biochemical (PSA) recurrence with no physical exam or radiographic evidence of local or distant relapse are eligible
Prior hormonal therapy in the form of neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy is allowed as long as neither lasted for more than 9 months; androgen deprivation therapy must have been completed at least one year prior to registration; patients could not have had a rising PSA at the time that neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy was stopped
Life expectancy of greater than 3 months
Karnofsky performance status > 60%
Leukocytes >= 3,000/uL
Absolute neutrophil count >= 1,500/uL
Platelets >= 100,00/uL
Total bilirubin =< 1.5 mg/dL
AST (SGOT)/ALT (SGPT) =< 2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal
Creatinine within normal institutional limits OR creatinine clearance >= 60 mL/min
Computed tomography scan or MRI of the pelvis negative for metastatic disease within 3 months prior to registration
Bone scan negative for metastatic disease within 3 months prior to registration
Chest PA and lateral films negative for metastatic disease within 3 months prior to registration
Prior vaccine therapy is allowed if completed at least 6 months prior to registration
Men enrolled in this trial 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 document

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients who have had any prior cytotoxic chemotherapy
Patients may not be receiving any other investigational agents
Patients receiving concurrent chemotherapeutic agents, biological response modifiers, radiation therapy, corticosteroid or hormonal therapy; no complementary or alternative therapy (e.g., St. John's Wort, PC-SPES, or any other herbal remedies taken for the purpose of treating prostate cancer) may be given during protocol treatment
History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to perifosine
Androgen deprivation given for reasons other than neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy
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
HIV-positive patients receiving combination anti-retroviral therapy are excluded from the study because of possible pharmacokinetic interactions with perifosine; appropriate studies will be undertaken in patients receiving combination anti-retroviral therapy when indicated
No prior malignancy is allowed except for the following: adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, in situ carcinoma of any site, adequately treated stage I or II cancer from which the patient is currently in complete remission, or any other cancer from which the patient has been disease-free for 5 years