Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients at High Risk for Breast Cancer Recurrence

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of breast cancer at high risk for recurrence, defined by one of the following:
• Stage IV that is free of all known disease after eradication by surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy
• May or may not have elevated CA 15-3 or CEA levels
• Stage I, II, or III previously treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and clinically free of identifiable disease, but have rising CA 15-3 or CEA levels
• Rising CA 15-3 and CEA defined as a prior normal level increased on 2 consecutive occasions at least 2 weeks apart
• For patients with a significant history of smoking who have a chronically elevated CEA (less than 15), CEA must be increased at least 1.5 times the uppermost chronic value on 2 consecutive occasions at least 2 weeks apart
• Stage III and completed adjuvant therapy no more than 24 months ago
• Recurrence in the ipsilateral axilla after lumpectomy and/or axillary dissection or modified radical mastectomy
• Recurrence in the ipsilateral breast after lumpectomy and/or axillary dissection
• Stage II with at least 4 positive axillary nodes and completed adjuvant therapy no more than 24 months ago
• Stage IV that is stable on hormonal therapy
• Hormone receptor status:
• Not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Sex:

• Male or female

Menopausal status:

• Not specified

Performance status:

• Karnofsky 80-100%

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Lymphocyte count at least 500/mm^3
• WBC at least 3,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• AST no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 1.5 times ULN

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular:

• No clinically significant New York Heart Association class III or IV cardiac disease

Other:

• Not pregnant
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No prior seafood allergy
• No known prior immunodeficiency or autoimmune disease
• No other active cancer except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• At least 6 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• No prior vaccine with any of the antigens in this study

Chemotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy
• No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• See Disease Characteristics

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior surgery
• Concurrent surgery for local recurrence allowed if patient remains disease free