Vaccine Therapy Plus Immune Adjuvant in Treating Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, or Myelodysplastic Syndrome

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To evaluate both toxicity and immune response efficacy of PR1 peptide (PR1 leukemia peptide vaccine) administered subcutaneously. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To evaluate possible clinical efficacy of PR1 peptide vaccine preparation with Montanide ISA 51 or Montanide ISA 51 VG adjuvant, in high-risk HLA-A2 positive patients with myeloid leukemias. OUTLINE: This is a phase I dose-escalation study of PR1 leukemia peptide vaccine, followed by a phase II randomized study. Patients receive PR1 leukemia peptide vaccine with Montanide ISA-51 (ISA-51) subcutaneously (SC) once every 3 weeks for 18 weeks, for a total of 6 vaccinations. Patients also receive sargramostim (GM-CSF) SC with each vaccination. Cohorts of 3 patients receive escalating doses of PR1 leukemia peptide vaccine until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 3 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. Additional patients are accrued to the phase II portion of the study and are randomized to receive one of three dose levels of PR1 leukemia peptide vaccine with ISA-51. Patients in each of the 3 arms receive treatment as in the phase I portion of the study. Patients achieving a clinical response and/or clinical response to the vaccine whose disease progresses within 6-12 months after the first set of vaccinations may receive additional vaccine as before. Patients achieving a clinical response or immune reaction to the vaccine are followed at least monthly until death or until the clinical response and/or immune reaction is lost. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 3-9 patients will be accrued for the phase I dose escalation portion of this study. A maximum of 60 patients (20 per arm) will be accrued for the phase II randomized portion of this study.