Biological Therapy and Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer or Colorectal Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic renal cell carcinoma or colorectal carcinoma, meeting 1 of the following criteria:
• * Obtained no benefit from prior standard or salvage therapy
• * Ineligible for standard therapy because of concurrent illness
• * Declined standard therapy
• At least 1 site of measurable disease that can be measured in at least 1 dimension
• * At least 20 mm with conventional techniques OR at least 10 mm with spiral CT scan
• No untreated or unstable, treated brain metastasis
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• More than 3 months
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 4,000/mm\^3
• Granulocyte count at least 2,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL
• No coagulation disorders
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 2.5 mg/dL\*
• ALT/AST less than 3 times upper limit of normal\*
• PT no greater than 1.5 times control (unless therapeutically anticoagulated)
• PTT less than 1.5 times control (unless therapeutically anticoagulated) NOTE: \*Patients whose cancer has led to values that do not fall within the above ranges may be eligible at the discretion of the investigators
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL\* NOTE: \*Patients whose cancer has led to values that do not fall within the above range may be eligible at the discretion of the investigators
• Cardiovascular:
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• No thrombophlebitis
• Pulmonary:
• FEV\_1 and FVC at least 65% predicted
• No uncontrolled pulmonary embolism
• Other:
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except resected basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No prior allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to interleukin-12-primed activated T cells or other study agents
• No active autoimmune disease
• No uncontrolled thyroid abnormalities
• No ongoing or active infection
• No other uncontrolled concurrent illness
• No psychiatric illness or social situations that would preclude study compliance
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for up to 2 years after study participation
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• Chemotherapy:
• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
• Endocrine therapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior steroid therapy or steroid-containing compounds
• At least 2 weeks since prior topical or inhaled steroids
• Radiotherapy:
• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• Surgery:
• More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery
• Other:
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent commercial anticancer agents
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients