Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients at High Risk for Breast Cancer Recurrence

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Diagnosis of breast cancer at high risk for recurrence, defined by one of the following:
• * Stage IV that is free of all known disease after eradication by surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy
• * May or may not have elevated CA 15-3 or CEA levels
• * Stage I, II, or III previously treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and clinically free of identifiable disease, but have rising CA 15-3 or CEA levels
• * Rising CA 15-3 and CEA defined as a prior normal level increased on 2 consecutive occasions at least 2 weeks apart
• * For patients with a significant history of smoking who have a chronically elevated CEA (less than 15), CEA must be increased at least 1.5 times the uppermost chronic value on 2 consecutive occasions at least 2 weeks apart
• * Stage III and completed adjuvant therapy no more than 24 months ago
• * Recurrence in the ipsilateral axilla after lumpectomy and/or axillary dissection or modified radical mastectomy
• * Recurrence in the ipsilateral breast after lumpectomy and/or axillary dissection
• * Stage II with at least 4 positive axillary nodes and completed adjuvant therapy no more than 24 months ago
• * Stage IV that is stable on hormonal therapy
• Hormone receptor status:
• * Not specified
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Sex:
• Male or female
• Menopausal status:
• Not specified
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 80-100%
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• Lymphocyte count at least 500/mm\^3
• WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• AST no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• Cardiovascular:
• No clinically significant New York Heart Association class III or IV cardiac disease
• Other:
• Not pregnant
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No prior seafood allergy
• No known prior immunodeficiency or autoimmune disease
• No other active cancer except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 6 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• No prior vaccine with any of the antigens in this study
• Chemotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy
• No concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior surgery
• Concurrent surgery for local recurrence allowed if patient remains disease free