Denileukin Diftitox Followed by Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed malignancy * Metastatic disease * Tumor expresses carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), as evidenced by any of the following: * At least 50% of tumor expresses CEA by immunohistochemistry (IHC) with ≥ a moderate intensity of staining * Peripheral blood CEA level \> 5.0 ng/mL * Tumor known to be universally CEA-positive (e.g., colon or rectal cancer) * Measurable or evaluable disease * Received or refused prior therapy with a possible survival or palliative benefit AND meets the following disease-specific criteria: * Patients with colorectal cancer must have experienced disease progression during ≥ 1 prior palliative chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease comprising 1 of the following regimens: * Fluorouracil or capecitabine AND oxaliplatin * Fluorouracil or capecitabine AND irinotecan * Chemotherapy in combination with bevacizumab * Patients with breast cancer must have experienced disease progression during ≥ 1 prior palliative chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease comprising 1 of the following regimens: * Anthracycline- or taxane-based chemotherapy * Chemotherapy AND trastuzumab (Herceptin®) (required for patients with tumors overexpressing HER2/neu (i.e., 3+ by IHC or positive by fluorescence in situ hybridization \[FISH\]) * Patients with lung cancer must have experienced disease progression during ≥ 1 prior palliative chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease comprising 1 of the following regimens: * Platinum-based (e.g., cisplatin or carboplatin) chemotherapy (for chemotherapy-naive patients only) * Taxane-based (e.g., docetaxel or paclitaxel) chemotherapy OR vinorelbine (for patients who received prior chemotherapy) * Patients with pancreatic cancer must have experienced disease progression during prior chemotherapy, including gemcitabine * Patients with other malignancies must have experienced disease progression after prior first-line therapy that would confer a survival or palliative benefit, if such a therapy exists * Patients who experienced disease progression during prior first-line palliative chemotherapy must be advised regarding second-line therapy before study enrollment * Previously resected brain metastases allowed provided there is no evidence of brain metastasis within the past month by MRI or CT scan * No requirement for further systemic chemotherapy for ≥ 3 months * 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 ≥ 3,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL (transfusion or epoetin alfa allowed) * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic * Bilirubin \< 1.5 mg/dL (≤ 2.0 mg/dL for patients with Gilbert's syndrome) * SGOT and SGPT \< 1.5 times upper limit of normal * Albumin ≥ 3.0 g/dL * No active acute or chronic viral hepatitis * Hepatitis B surface antigen negative * Hepatitis C negative * No other hepatic disease that would preclude study treatment Renal * Creatinine \< 1.5 mg/dL * No active acute or chronic urinary tract infection Cardiovascular * No New York Heart Association class III-IV cardiac disease Immunologic * HIV negative * No history of autoimmune disease\*, including, but not limited to, the following: * Inflammatory bowel disease * Systemic lupus erythematosus * Ankylosing spondylitis * Scleroderma * Multiple sclerosis * No active cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease * Patients with CMV-seropositivity are eligible * No other active acute or chronic infection * No history of allergies to eggs or any component of the study vaccine, denileukin diftitox, or diphtheria toxin NOTE: \*Patients with a positive anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) ≤ 1:256 with no other evidence of autoimmune disease are eligible Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 months after completion of study treatment * No acute or chronic skin disorder that would preclude study treatment * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer, controlled carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or controlled superficial bladder cancer * No psychological or medical impediment that would preclude study compliance * No other serious acute or chronic illness that would preclude study treatment PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * See Disease Characteristics * Prior vaccine, dendritic cell, or CEA-targeted immunotherapy allowed * At least 4 weeks since prior and no other concurrent immunotherapy * Concurrent palliative single-agent trastuzumab for breast cancer allowed provided patient has been on therapy for ≥ 3 months before study entry Chemotherapy * See Disease Characteristics * At least 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy * At least 4 weeks since prior hormonal therapy * At least 6 weeks since prior steroid therapy except steroids used as premedication for chemotherapy or contrast-enhanced studies * No concurrent steroids, including corticosteroids administered to manage toxic effects from dendritic cell or denileukin diftitox administration * Concurrent palliative endocrine therapy for breast cancer allowed provided patient has been on therapy for ≥ 3 months before study entry Radiotherapy * At least 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent radiotherapy Surgery * See Disease Characteristics Other * Recovered from all prior therapy * At least 4 weeks since prior investigational drugs or procedures * At least 4 weeks since other prior therapy * No other concurrent immunosuppressive therapy (e.g., azathioprine or cyclosporine)