Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed advanced or metastatic malignancy expressing CEA * Metastatic disease meeting one of the following criteria: * Measurable or nonmeasurable * History of metastases but no current evidence of disease, meeting one of the following criteria: * Unresectable peritoneal or lymph node metastases that cannot be detected by imaging * Treated or resected metastatic disease considered at high risk of recurrence (predicted 5-year disease-free survival of less than 50%) * Must have completed treatment that rendered no evidence of disease within the past year * CEA-expressing malignancy is defined by any of the following: * Immunohistochemical staining (at least 50% of the tumor has at least a moderate intensity of staining) * CEA level in peripheral blood greater than 2.5 µg/L * Tumor known to be universally CEA positive (e.g., colon and rectal cancer) * Received prior therapy with possible survival benefit or refused such therapy * Prior resection of brain metastases allowed provided no metastasis by CT scan or MRI of the brain within 1 month of enrollment * Hormone receptor status: * Not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Sex * Male or female Menopausal status * Not specified Performance status * Karnofsky 70-100% Life expectancy * More than 6 months Hematopoietic * WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3 * Absolute lymphocyte count at least 1,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL (transfusion or epoetin alfa allowed) Hepatic * Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL * SGOT/SGPT less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal * No active acute or chronic viral hepatitis * Hepatitis B surface antigen negative * Hepatitis C negative * No other hepatic disease that would preclude study entry Renal * Creatinine less than 2.5 mg/dL * No active acute or chronic urinary tract infection Cardiovascular * No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease Immunologic * HIV negative * No history of autoimmune disease, including, but not limited to, the following: * Inflammatory bowel disease * Systemic lupus erythematosus * Rheumatoid arthritis * Ankylosing spondylitis * Scleroderma * Multiple sclerosis * No allergy to eggs or any component of study vaccine Other * No active acute or chronic infection * No concurrent serious acute or chronic illness that would preclude study entry * No other medical or psychological impediment that would preclude study entry * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer, controlled carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or controlled superficial bladder cancer * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * At least 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy and recovered * No other concurrent immunotherapy Chemotherapy * At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered * No concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy * At least 4 weeks since prior hormonal therapy and recovered * At least 6 weeks since prior steroids except steroids used as premedication for chemotherapy or for contrast-enhanced studies * No concurrent steroids Radiotherapy * Prior palliative radiotherapy (including systemic radiolabeled compounds) for unstable or painful bone metastases in weight-bearing bones may be allowed * At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered * No concurrent radiotherapy Surgery * Not specified Other * At least 4 weeks since any other prior therapy (including experimental therapy) and recovered * No concurrent immunosuppressives (e.g., azathioprine or cyclosporine)