Monoclonal Antibody Therapy in Treating Patients With Lymphoma or Colon Cancer That Has Not Responded to Vaccine Therapy

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed prostate cancer (closed to accrual as of 3/9/2005)
• * Prior therapy on protocol NCI-00-C-0137 or NCI-00-C-0154
• * Progressive disease (2 consecutively rising PSA levels, new bone scan lesion, or progression of soft tissue)
• * PSA at least 5 ng/mL
• * Progressive androgen-independent disease
• * Disease progression at least 4 weeks after flutamide withdrawal OR
• * Disease progression at least 6 weeks after bicalutamide or nilutamide withdrawal OR
• Histologically confirmed follicular or mantle cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (mantle cell lymphoma closed to accrual as of 3/9/2005)
• * Prior therapy on protocol NCI-00-C-0133, NCI-01-C-0169, or NCI-00-C-0050
• * Progressive disease after standard treatment
• * Relapsed disease OR
• Histologically confirmed colon cancer (colon cancer closed to accrual as of 9/28/05)
• * Prior therapy on protocol NCI-99-C-0023
• * Progressive disease OR
• Histologically confirmed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or Hodgkin's lymphoma
• * Progressive disease after standard treatment
• * No curative therapy exists
• * Prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation from a matched sibling or matched unrelated donor for an aggressive lymphoma allowed
• * Last infusion of allogeneic cells (either hematopoietic stem cells or donor lymphocytes) must have occurred \> 90 days prior to study enrollment
• No other standard therapy available or refused such therapy
• No symptomatic or rapidly progressive malignancy requiring therapy
• No symptomatic CNS metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• Karnofsky 80-100%
• Life expectancy
• More than 2 months
• Hematopoietic
• WBC at least 2,500/mm\^3
• Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 50,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL
• Hematocrit at least 30%
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 3.0 mg/dL (unless due to Gilbert's disease)
• SGOT and SGPT no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal
• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• Hepatitis C antibody negative
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• Immunologic
• HIV negative
• Rheumatoid factor negative if history or evidence of arthritis
• Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) titer no greater than 1:80 if history or clinical signs or symptoms of connective tissue disease
• No prior or active autoimmune disease (e.g., uveitis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, ulcerative and hemorrhagic colitis, endocrine disorders \[e.g., thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, autoimmune hypophysitis/hypopituitarism, or adrenal insufficiency\], sarcoid granuloma, myasthenia gravis, polymyositis,or Guillain-Barre syndrome)
• No positive antibody titers to autoimmune diseases
• * Rheumatoid factor positive allowed unless ANA titer is greater than 1:80 and there is a history of or clinical signs or symptoms of connective tissue disease
• No active infection
• Other
• No other active malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or superficial bladder cancer
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 months after study participation
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior vaccine therapy
• No prior anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 monoclonal antibody (MDX-CTLA4) for patients in part I of study
• * Patients in part II of study may have had up to 4 prior treatments with MDX-CTLA4
• No concurrent vaccine therapy
• No concurrent infliximab
• Chemotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy
• No concurrent mercaptopurine, methotrexate, or cyclophosphamide
• Endocrine therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior steroids
• No concurrent systemic, inhaled, or topical steroids
• Radiotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Surgery
• At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery
• Other
• Prior intervening therapy for prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or colon cancer allowed
• No other concurrent investigational therapy
• No other concurrent immunosuppressants (e.g., cyclosporine or its analog)