Vaccine Therapy and Chemotherapy With or Without Tetanus Toxoid Compared With Chemotherapy Alone in Treating Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma * No clinically active CNS metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and over Performance status: * ECOG 0-1 Life expectancy: * More than 6 months Hematopoietic: * Lymphocyte count at least 1,000/mm\^3 * Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL Hepatic: * Bilirubin less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * AST/ALT less than 3 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver metastases present) * Alkaline phosphatase less than 3 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver metastases present) * No hepatocellular dysfunction * No cirrhosis Renal: * Creatinine less than 2.5 mg/dL Cardiovascular: * No uncontrolled coronary artery disease * No symptomatic congestive heart failure Pulmonary: * No uncontrolled chronic obstructive lung disease Gastrointestinal: * No unsolved bowel obstruction or subobstruction * No uncontrolled Crohn's disease * No ulcerative colitis * No concurrent chronic diarrhea Immunologic: * HIV negative * No immunocompromised patients * No diagnosis of altered immune function, including: * Lupus erythematosus * Sjogren's syndrome * Scleroderma * Myasthenia gravis * Goodpasture's disease * Addison's disease * Hashimoto's thyroiditis * Active Graves' disease * No known allergy to egg products or neomycin * No prior adverse reaction to tetanus toxoid-containing vaccines Other: * No significant comorbid medical function * No uncontrolled infection * No unstable diabetes mellitus * No uncontrolled thyroid function abnormalities * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell carcinoma or adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No other medical illness or mental status that would preclude study participation * No prior severe toxicity to adjuvant chemotherapy * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 3 months after study participation PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * No prior CEA-directed immunotherapy * No other concurrent immunotherapy Chemotherapy: * At least 6 months since prior adjuvant chemotherapy * No prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease * No other concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * No concurrent daily use of systemic steroids * No concurrent nonsubstitutional hormonal therapy Radiotherapy: * No prior radiotherapy to more than 50% of all nodal groups * No concurrent radiotherapy except for palliative purposes involving less than 20% of bone marrow reserve Surgery: * No prior major organ allograft * Recovered from prior surgery Other: * At least 28 days since prior investigational products * No other concurrent investigational products