Evaluation of Safety and Immunogenicity of a Peptide Vaccine in Patients With Epithelial Ovarian or Primary Peritoneal Cancer
Inclusion Criteria
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
- Histologically confirmed ovarian epithelial or primary peritoneal cancer
- Completed primary therapy (surgery and chemotherapy for newly diagnosed disease)
within the past 12 months and meets 1 of the following criteria:
- Clinical or radiographic evidence of disease
- Serologic evidence of disease
- Initial diagnosis of stage III or IV disease AND completed anticancer therapy
within the past 12 months
- At least 2 intact axillary and/or inguinal lymph node basins
- Prior lymph node biopsy allowed provided lymphoscintigraphy demonstrates intact
drainage to a node in that basin
- HLA-A1-, -A2-, or -A3-positive disease
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
Age
- 18 and over
Performance status
- GOG 0-2
Life expectancy
- Not specified
Hematopoietic
- Absolute neutrophil count > 1,500/mm^3
- Hemoglobin > 8.0 g/dL OR
- Hematocrit > 25%
- Platelet count ≥ 80,000/mm^3
Hepatic
- AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
- Hepatitis C negative
Renal
- Not specified
Cardiovascular
- No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
Immunologic
- HIV negative
- No active infection requiring antibiotics
- No prior or active autoimmune disorder requiring cytotoxic or immunosuppressive
therapy
- No prior autoimmune disorder with visceral involvement
- No known or suspected allergy to any component of the study vaccine
- The following immunologic conditions are allowed:
- Laboratory evidence of autoimmune disease (e.g., positive antinuclear antibody
titer) that is asymptomatic
- Clinical evidence of vitiligo or other forms of depigmenting illness
- Mild arthritis requiring non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Other
- Not pregnant or nursing
- Negative pregnancy test
- Fertile patients must use effective contraception
- Weight ≥ 110 lbs
- No uncontrolled diabetes, defined as hemoglobin A1C ≥ 7%
- No active hyperthyroidism
- No current or recent (within the past year) addiction to alcohol or drugs
- No medical contraindication or other potential medical problem that would preclude
study compliance
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
Biologic therapy
- More than 2 weeks since prior and no concurrent allergy desensitization injections
- More than 2 weeks since prior and no concurrent growth factors (e.g., epoetin alfa or
pegfilgrastim)
- More than 1 month since prior and no other concurrent immunotherapy
- More than 2 weeks since prior and no other concurrent potential immunomodulating
agents, including any of the following:
- Interferon
- Tumor necrosis factor
- Interleukins or other cytokines
- Biologic response modifiers
- Monoclonal antibodies
- No prior vaccination with all of the study peptides relevant to the patient's
HLA-type
Chemotherapy
- See Disease Characteristics
- More than 1 month since prior chemotherapy and recovered
- No concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy
Endocrine therapy
- More than 2 weeks since prior and no concurrent parenteral or oral corticosteroids
(e.g., prednisone or albuterol)
- Topical corticosteroids allowed
Radiotherapy
- More than 1 month since prior radiotherapy and recovered
Surgery
- See Disease Characteristics
- More than 1 month since prior surgery and recovered
Other
- More than 1 month since other prior treatment and recovered
- More than 1 month since prior and no other concurrent investigational agents