DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed advanced or metastatic malignancy expressing CEA

  • Metastatic disease meeting one of the following criteria:

    • Measurable or nonmeasurable

    • History of metastases but no current evidence of disease, meeting one of the following criteria:

      • Unresectable peritoneal or lymph node metastases that cannot be detected by imaging

      • Treated or resected metastatic disease considered at high risk of recurrence (predicted 5-year disease-free survival of less than 50%)

        • Must have completed treatment that rendered no evidence of disease within the past year

• CEA-expressing malignancy is defined by any of the following:

  • Immunohistochemical staining (at least 50% of the tumor has at least a moderate intensity of staining)
  • CEA level in peripheral blood greater than 2.5 µg/L
  • Tumor known to be universally CEA positive (e.g., colon and rectal cancer)
• Received prior therapy with possible survival benefit or refused such therapy
• Prior resection of brain metastases allowed provided no metastasis by CT scan or MRI of the brain within 1 month of enrollment

• 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 at least 3,000/mm^3
• Absolute lymphocyte count at least 1,000/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL (transfusion or epoetin alfa allowed)

Hepatic

• Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL
• SGOT/SGPT less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal
• No active acute or chronic viral hepatitis
• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• Hepatitis C negative
• No other hepatic disease that would preclude study entry

Renal

• Creatinine less than 2.5 mg/dL
• No active acute or chronic urinary tract infection

Cardiovascular

• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

Immunologic

• HIV negative

• No history of autoimmune disease, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Ankylosing spondylitis
  • Scleroderma
  • Multiple sclerosis
• No allergy to eggs or any component of study vaccine

Other

• No active acute or chronic infection
• No concurrent serious acute or chronic illness that would preclude study entry
• No other medical or psychological impediment that would preclude study entry
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer, controlled carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or controlled superficial bladder cancer
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy and recovered
• No other concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior hormonal therapy and recovered
• At least 6 weeks since prior steroids except steroids used as premedication for chemotherapy or for contrast-enhanced studies
• No concurrent steroids

Radiotherapy

• Prior palliative radiotherapy (including systemic radiolabeled compounds) for unstable or painful bone metastases in weight-bearing bones may be allowed
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• At least 4 weeks since any other prior therapy (including experimental therapy) and recovered
• No concurrent immunosuppressives (e.g., azathioprine or cyclosporine)