Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients Who Are Undergoing Surgery for Stage IB, Stage II, or Stage IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer

  • Clinical stage IB-IIIA disease

• Candidate for surgical resection as primary treatment for tumor

  • Surgically resectable tumor ≥ 2.0 cm in diameter
• No brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• Zubrod 0-1

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Hematocrit ≥ 30%

Hepatic

• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative*
• Hepatitis B core antigen negative*
• Hepatitis C virus negative*
• Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• AST and ALT ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal NOTE: *Screening performed only if liver enzymes are elevated

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 2.2 mg/dL
• BUN ≤ 40 mg/dL

Pulmonary

• FEV_1 > 2.0 L (pre-resection) OR
• Predicted post-resection FEV_1 > 1.0 L
• No more than 2 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations requiring > 2 weeks of oral steroids and/or hospitalization within the past year

Immunologic

• Purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test negative
• HIV-1 and HIV-2 negative
• No acute infection, including any acute viral, bacterial, or fungal infection requiring specific therapy within the past 7 days
• No allergy to study agents
• No known autoimmune or collagen vascular disorder

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No underlying condition that would preclude study therapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No concurrent anti-tumor necrosis factor agents

Chemotherapy

• Standard adjuvant chemotherapy for lung cancer allowed provided therapy is completed ≥ 30 days before administration of the first study vaccine
• No concurrent cyclophosphamide

Endocrine therapy

• No concurrent high-dose corticosteroids (e.g., > 10 mg of prednisone)
• Concurrent corticosteroids for minor breathing exacerbations allowed provided patient receives ≤ 2 short courses (≤ 10 days per course) within a 45-day period
• No concurrent corticosteroids within 48 hours before or after study vaccine administration

Radiotherapy

• Standard adjuvant radiotherapy for lung cancer allowed provided therapy is completed ≥ 30 days before administration of the first study vaccine

Surgery

• No prior organ allograft

Other

• No concurrent antihistamines within 48 hours before or after study vaccine administration
• No concurrent cimetidine or other H2 blockers within 48 hours before or after study vaccine administration
• Concurrent antibiotics for minor infection allowed provided patient receives ≤ 2 short courses (≤ 10 days per course) within a 45-day period
• No concurrent cyclosporine
• No concurrent azathioprine
• No other concurrent drugs known to significantly alter immune function
• No concurrent cytotoxic therapy
• No concurrent participation in another clinical trial involving experimental therapy
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy