Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage II or Stage III Colon Cancer That Has Been Removed During Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed stage II or III primary adenocarcinoma of the colon * Completely resected within the past 28-35 days, at which time tumor tissue is harvested for vaccine production * No residual or metastatic disease * No more than 1 malignant invasive primary colon cancer * No tumor originating in the rectum (i.e., inferior tumor margin must not be at or below the peritoneal reflection) * No perforated tumors PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 21 to 85 Performance status: * WHO 0-1 Life expectancy: * Not specified Hematopoietic: * WBC greater than 4,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin greater than 10.0 g/dL Hepatic: * Bilirubin normal * SGOT normal * Alkaline phosphatase normal * No severe hepatic disease that would preclude study Renal: * Creatinine less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal * No severe renal disease that would preclude study Cardiovascular: * No prosthetic cardiac valves * No recent vascular prosthesis * No postsurgical cardiovascular complication * No severe cardiovascular disease that would preclude study Pulmonary: * No postsurgical pulmonary complication Other: * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus * No severe systemic disease that would preclude study * No congenital or acquired immune deficiency disease * No history of chronic ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, Gardner's syndrome, or Turcot's syndrome * No ileus * No other prior malignancy except curatively treated squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No ongoing infection requiring systemic antibiotics * No severe postoperative complication that would preclude study * Carcinoembryonic antigen normal PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * No other concurrent investigational immunotherapy Chemotherapy: * No prior systemic chemotherapy * No other concurrent investigational chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * No concurrent steroids Radiotherapy: * No prior radiotherapy * No concurrent investigational radiotherapy Surgery: * See Disease Characteristics * No concurrent investigational surgery Other: * At least 3 weeks since prior systemic antibiotic therapy of more than 5 days duration (excluding topical antibiotics or perioperative prophylactic antibiotics) * No concurrent cytotoxic immunosuppressive agents