Vaccine Therapy Plus Interleukin-2 in Treating Patients With Stage III, Stage IV, or Recurrent Follicular Lymphoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically proven follicular center cell lymphoma with surface immunoglobulin (Ig) M, G, or A phenotype
• * Grade I (follicular small cleaved cell)
• * Grade II (follicular mixed small and large cell)
• * Grade III (follicular large cell)
• Stage III, IV, or recurrent disease
• Previously untreated with chemotherapy or monoclonal antibody therapy OR
• Recurrent, residual disease or progressive disease after prior prednisone, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and etoposide (PACE) chemotherapy
• Peripheral lymph node of at least 2 cm and accessible for biopsy/harvest
• No primary or secondary CNS lymphoma
• Must not have any of the following:
• * Rapidly progressing lymphadenopathy
• * Bone marrow failure secondary to lymphoma
• * B symptoms
• * Neurovascular or organ compromise secondary to lymphoma
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 70-100%
• Life expectancy:
• More than 1 year
• Hematopoietic:
• Not specified
• Hepatic:
• ALT/AST no greater than 3.5 times upper limit of normal
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL unless secondary to Gilbert's disease
• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• Hepatitis C antibody negative
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• Other:
• HIV negative
• No active infection
• No other prior or concurrent malignancy except curatively treated squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer or effectively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No medical or psychiatric condition that would preclude study
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• No other concurrent biologic therapy for lymphoma
• Chemotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 months since prior PACE chemotherapy
• No concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• At least 2 weeks since prior steroid treatment
• Less than 2 months of prior prednisone
• No concurrent endocrine therapy for lymphoma
• Radiotherapy:
• Prior radiotherapy to no more than 1 site allowed
• At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Lymph node biopsy performed within past month