DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed prostate cancer (closed to accrual as of 3/9/2005)

  • Prior therapy on protocol NCI-00-C-0137 or NCI-00-C-0154
  • Progressive disease (2 consecutively rising PSA levels, new bone scan lesion, or progression of soft tissue)
  • PSA at least 5 ng/mL

  • Progressive androgen-independent disease

    • Disease progression at least 4 weeks after flutamide withdrawal OR
    • Disease progression at least 6 weeks after bicalutamide or nilutamide withdrawal OR

• Histologically confirmed follicular or mantle cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (mantle cell lymphoma closed to accrual as of 3/9/2005)

  • Prior therapy on protocol NCI-00-C-0133, NCI-01-C-0169, or NCI-00-C-0050
  • Progressive disease after standard treatment
  • Relapsed disease OR

• Histologically confirmed colon cancer (colon cancer closed to accrual as of 9/28/05)

  • Prior therapy on protocol NCI-99-C-0023
  • Progressive disease OR

• Histologically confirmed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or Hodgkin's lymphoma

  • Progressive disease after standard treatment
  • No curative therapy exists

  • Prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation from a matched sibling or matched unrelated donor for an aggressive lymphoma allowed

    • Last infusion of allogeneic cells (either hematopoietic stem cells or donor lymphocytes) must have occurred > 90 days prior to study enrollment
• No other standard therapy available or refused such therapy
• No symptomatic or rapidly progressive malignancy requiring therapy
• No symptomatic CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• Karnofsky 80-100%

Life expectancy

• More than 2 months

Hematopoietic

• WBC at least 2,500/mm^3
• Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 50,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL
• Hematocrit at least 30%

Hepatic

• Bilirubin no greater than 3.0 mg/dL (unless due to Gilbert's disease)
• SGOT and SGPT no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal
• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• Hepatitis C antibody negative

Renal

• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

Immunologic

• HIV negative
• Rheumatoid factor negative if history or evidence of arthritis
• Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) titer no greater than 1:80 if history or clinical signs or symptoms of connective tissue disease
• No prior or active autoimmune disease (e.g., uveitis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, ulcerative and hemorrhagic colitis, endocrine disorders [e.g., thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, autoimmune hypophysitis/hypopituitarism, or adrenal insufficiency], sarcoid granuloma, myasthenia gravis, polymyositis,or Guillain-Barre syndrome)

• No positive antibody titers to autoimmune diseases

  • Rheumatoid factor positive allowed unless ANA titer is greater than 1:80 and there is a history of or clinical signs or symptoms of connective tissue disease
• No active infection

Other

• No other active malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or superficial bladder cancer
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 months after study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior vaccine therapy

• No prior anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 monoclonal antibody (MDX-CTLA4) for patients in part I of study

  • Patients in part II of study may have had up to 4 prior treatments with MDX-CTLA4
• No concurrent vaccine therapy
• No concurrent infliximab

Chemotherapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy
• No concurrent mercaptopurine, methotrexate, or cyclophosphamide

Endocrine therapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior steroids
• No concurrent systemic, inhaled, or topical steroids

Radiotherapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

• At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery

Other

• Prior intervening therapy for prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or colon cancer allowed
• No other concurrent investigational therapy
• No other concurrent immunosuppressants (e.g., cyclosporine or its analog)