Tumor Necrosis Factor in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Primary Cancer or Metastatic Cancer

RATIONALE: Biological therapies, such as tumor necrosis factor, may stimulate the immune system in different ways and stop tumor cells from growing. Studying tumor necrosis factor in samples of tumor tissue and healthy tissue from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn how tumor necrosis factor works in tumor tissue and healthy tissue. PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying tumor necrosis factor in patients undergoing surgery for primary cancer or metastatic cancer .

OBJECTIVES: Primary * Determine the tumor tissue and normal tissue distribution of colloidal gold-bound tumor necrosis factor in patients with primary or metastatic cancer undergoing surgery. Secondary * Determine, by histological examination of resected tumor tissue, the acute antitumor effects of this treatment in these patients. * Determine the long-term toxicities of this treatment in these patients. * Determine the response to this treatment in these patients. OUTLINE: This is a cohort study. Patients are stratified according to disease type (colorectal cancer vs hepatocellular cancer vs pancreatic exocrine cancer vs pancreatic endocrine cancer vs breast cancer vs melanoma vs primary adrenal tumors vs renal cell carcinoma). Patients receive colloidal gold-bound tumor necrosis factor IV over 15-30 seconds 12-78 hours prior to surgery. Patients then undergo standard-care surgery. Tumor and normal tissues are removed during surgery for analysis of antitumor effects and tissue distribution of colloidal gold-bound tumor necrosis factor by electron microscopy. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for 1 year, every 4 months for 1 year, and then every 6 months for 1 year. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 108 patients will be accrued for this study.