Vaccine Therapy Plus QS21 in Treating Patients With Small Cell Lung Cancer That Has Responded to Initial Therapy

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed small cell lung cancer Must have completed initial therapy with or without radiotherapy and have achieved a complete response or partial response to therapy without subsequent evidence of disease progression Must have completed any radiotherapy including prophylactic cranial radiotherapy as part of the planned primary therapy
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Karnofsky 70-100% Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3,000/mm3 Lymphocyte count at least 500/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL SGOT no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 1.5 times ULN Renal: Not specified Cardiovascular: No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease Other: No known immunodeficiency or autoimmune disease No other active malignancies within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer No clinically significant peripheral neuropathy Not pregnant or nursing Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: See Disease Characteristics At least 4 weeks but no more than 12 weeks since prior initial therapy and recovered Chemotherapy: See Disease Characteristics At least 4 weeks but no more than 12 weeks since prior initial therapy and recovered Endocrine therapy: See Disease Characteristics At least 4 weeks but no more than 12 weeks since prior initial therapy and recovered No concurrent corticosteroids Radiotherapy: See Disease Characteristics At least 4 weeks but no more than 12 weeks since prior initial therapy and recovered No prior radiotherapy to the spleen Surgery: No prior splenectomy