DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

  • The following cellular subtypes are eligible:

    • Bronchoalveolar (papillary) carcinoma
    • Squamous cell (epidermoid)
    • Adenocarcinoma
    • Large cell anaplastic

  • Must meet criteria for 1 of the following stages:

    • Stage IV (any T, any N, M1)
    • Metastatic
    • Progressive or recurrent

• Patients should have:

  • NSCLC sites that are accessible to needle, punch, or other limited biopsy

    • Sites may include skin and soft tissue metastases, adrenal gland metastases, or peripheral lymph nodes (supraclavicular, axillary, or inquinal)
  • A pulmonary lesion at low-risk for biopsy and/or complications defined as lesions >1.5 cm surrounded by aerated lung, pleural-based masses >1.5 cm and lesions not associated with a major pulmonary vessel, or other disease sites that may undergo biopsy with minimal discomfort and risk to the patient (these sites are optional)
• Measurable or nonmeasurable disease
• No mixed NSCLC and small cell lung carcinoma or variant large and small cell lung carcinoma
• No active CNS metastases or carcinomatous meningitis
• Ineligible for other curative intent treatment (e.g., surgical resection)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• At least 4 months

Hematopoietic

• Hemoglobin ≥ 10.0 g/dL
• Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,000/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Absolute lymphocyte count ≥ 475/mm^3

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Albumin ≥ 3.0 g/dL
• Hepatitis B and C negative
• No liver cirrhosis

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN OR
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min
• No hypercalcemia > 2.9 mmol/L that is unresponsive to standard therapy (e.g., IV hydration, diuretics, calcitonin, and/or bisphosphonate therapy)

Cardiovascular

• No significant or uncontrolled congestive heart failure
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No significant ventricular arrhythmias within the past 6 months

Pulmonary

• No significant pulmonary dysfunction
• A history of asthma or mild active asthma is allowed

Immunologic

• HIV negative
• No active infection or unexplained fever (i.e., temperature > 38.1°C)
• No autoimmune disease (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus or active rheumatoid arthritis)
• No known allergy to any component of the study drug or cell lines from which it was derived

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 1 month after study participation
• Willing to undergo tumor core needle biopsy, punch or other similar biopsy pre-vaccination and again post-vaccination
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except malignancies for which the probability of recurrence is less than 5%, curatively treated squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No other serious medical condition that would limit life expectancy to less than 2 years
• No other medical or psychiatric condition (e.g., untreated schizophrenia or other significant cognitive impairment) that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• See Chemotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior biological or targeted therapy

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics

• Prior surgery, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and/or chemotherapy regimens for NSCLC, including neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment, allowed

  • Preoperative neoadjuvant and postoperative (within 12 weeks after surgery) adjuvant chemotherapy with the same agent is considered 1 prior regimen
  • Gefitinib, erlotinib, monoclonal antibodies, or other small molecule or targeted therapies will be considered as prior chemotherapy or immunotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)

Endocrine therapy

• No concurrent systemic corticosteroids

  • Concurrent inhaled or topical corticosteroids are allowed
• No concurrent replacement therapy for hypoadrenalism

Radiotherapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

• No prior organ transplantation
• At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery

Other

• Recovered from all prior therapy (except alopecia and fatigue)
• More than 1 week since prior antibiotics
• No concurrent tacrolimus
• No other concurrent immunosuppressive therapy