Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Persistent Cervical Cancer

OBJECTIVES: * Evaluate alternating vaccination with lipidated human papillomavirus 16 E7 peptide (HPV-16 E7) and autologous dendritic cells pulsed with immunogenic HPV-16 E7 in terms of toxicity, immunologic reactivity, and therapeutic efficacy in patients with recurrent or persistent cervical cancer. OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study of dendritic cell-human papillomavirus 16 E7 (HPV-16 E7) peptide vaccine. Patients undergo leukapheresis to obtain peripheral blood mononuclear cells for activation to dendritic cells on days 0 and 28. Patients receive lipidated HPV-16 E7 peptide vaccine subcutaneously on days 1 and 14 and dendritic cell-HPV-16 E7 peptide vaccine IV over 15-30 minutes on days 7 and 21. Treatment continues in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with stable disease or complete or partial response may receive one additional treatment course, beginning 6 weeks after the end of the first course. Cohorts of 3-9 patients receive escalating doses of dendritic cell-HPV-16 E7 peptide vaccine. The maximum tolerated dose is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 6 patients experience dose limiting toxicity. A parallel cohort of patients receives dendritic cell-HPV-16 E7 peptide vaccine IV over 15-30 minutes on days 7 and 14, but does not receive lipidated HPV-16 E7 peptide. Patients are followed at one week. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 27 patients will be accrued for this study at a rate of 15 patients per year.