Vaccine Therapy Plus Interleukin-2 in Treating Women With Stage IV, Recurrent, or Progressive Breast or Ovarian Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically proven adenocarcinoma of the breast or ovary * Stage IV, recurrent, or progressive disease with no chemotherapy or radiotherapy options available that would increase survival * Tumor tissue available for determination of p53 protein expression and genetic mutation * p53-positive tumor by immunohistochemical analysis * HLA-A2.1 positive * No prior CNS metastases * Hormone receptor status: * Not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and over Sex: * Female Menopausal status: * Not specified Performance status: * ECOG 0 or 1 Life expectancy: * More than 3 months Hematopoietic: * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic: * Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL * SGOT or SGPT no greater than 4 times normal * Hepatitis B surface antigen negative * Hepatitis C antibody negative Renal: * Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL Cardiovascular: * No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease * No myocardial infarction within past 6 months * No prior congestive heart failure * No prior ventricular arrhythmias or other arrhythmias requiring therapy Immunologic: * Must have positive intradermal delayed hypersensitivity test for 1 of the following: * Mumps * Trichophyton * Tetanus * Candida * PPD * No underlying immune deficiency * No prior autoimmune disease including, but not limited to, the following: * Autoimmune neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, or hemolytic anemia * Systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome, or scleroderma * Myasthenia gravis * Goodpasture's syndrome * Addison's disease * Hashimoto's thyroiditis * Active Graves' disease * No active infection requiring antibiotics * HIV negative Other: * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No other active malignancy within the past 2 years except curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal cell skin cancer PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy and recovered * At least 1 year since prior bone marrow transplantation Chemotherapy: * At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered Endocrine therapy: * Prior anticancer hormonal therapy allowed * At least 4 weeks since prior systemic steroids and recovered Radiotherapy: * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered Surgery: * Not specified Other: * Chronic suppressive antibiotics allowed