Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the breast
• Stage III or IV disease
• Primary or recurrent disease
• Invasive lobular carcinoma allowed
• HLA-A1, -A2, -A3, or -A31 positive
• Underwent and recovered from prior primary therapy
• Patients with no clinical or radiological evidence of disease who had a previous diagnosis of stage III or IV breast cancer must have undergone prior antineoplastic therapy including, but not limited to, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy within the past 36 months
• Must have at least one undissected axillary and/or inguinal lymph node basin
• No history of brain metastases
• Hormone receptor status
• Estrogen receptor-positive or -negative tumor

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status of 0 or 1
• Body weight > 110 lbs (without clothes)
• Male or female
• Menopausal status not specified
• Absolute neutrophil count > 1000/mm^3
• Platelet count > 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin > 9 g/dL
• Hemoglobin A1c < 7%
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin ≤ 2.5 x ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 x ULN
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 x ULN
• HIV negative
• Hepatitis C negative
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No known or suspected allergies to any component of the vaccine
• No active infection requiring antibiotics
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
• No autoimmune disorders requiring cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy or autoimmune disorders with visceral involvement, except the following:
• Laboratory evidence of autoimmune disease (e.g., positive ANA titer) without symptoms
• Clinical evidence of vitiligo
• Other forms of depigmenting illness
• Mild arthritis requiring nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs
• No medical contraindication or potential problem that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• More than 4 weeks since prior surgery
• More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent allergy desensitization injections
• More than 4 weeks since prior parenteral, oral, or inhaled corticosteroids
• No concurrent inhaled steroids (e.g., Advair® or triamcinolone acetonide)
• Prior or concurrent topical corticosteroids allowed
• More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent growth factors (e.g., epoetin alfa, darbepoetin alfa, or pegfilgrastim)
• More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent other investigational medication
• More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent other agents with putative immunomodulating activity except for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents
• Prior and concurrent hormonal therapy (e.g., tamoxifen, raloxifene, toremifene, fulvestrant, letrozole, anastrozole, or exemestane) allowed
• No prior vaccination with any synthetic peptides in this protocol
• Vaccines for infectious disease (e.g., influenza) allowed, provided they are administered ≥ 2 weeks prior to or ≥ 2 weeks after study vaccine
• Short term therapy for acute conditions not related to breast cancer allowed
• No concurrent illegal drugs