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