Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically proven chronic myelogenous leukemia

  * Must have (9;22) translocation or bcr/abl transcript, and b3a2 breakpoint
  * No accelerated or blastic phase
* Must be in hematologic remission with peripheral WBC less than 20,000/mm\^3

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* Over 16

Performance status:

* Karnofsky 70-100%

Life expectancy:

* Not specified

Hematopoietic:

* See Disease Characteristics
* Absolute granulocyte count greater than 1,200/mm\^3
* Platelet count greater than 70,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin greater than 9.0 g/dL
* No active bleeding

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL
* Lactate dehydrogenase less than 2 times normal

Renal:

* Creatinine less than 2.0 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

* No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

Other:

* No uncontrolled active infection requiring antibiotics
* No other serious illness
* No immunodeficiency other than from prior bone marrow transplantation
* Not pregnant or nursing

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* At least 6 months since prior allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation
* Prior vaccination with pentavalent peptide at less than study dose level allowed
* At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy other than interferon, donor lymphocyte infusion, or pentavalent vaccine
* Concurrent interferon allowed

Chemotherapy:

* At least 2 weeks since prior low-dose subcutaneous cytarabine
* At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy other than hydroxyurea
* No concurrent chemotherapy except hydroxyurea

Endocrine therapy:

* No concurrent corticosteroids

Radiotherapy:

* At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
* No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

* No concurrent surgery

Other:

* Concurrent imatinib mesylate allowed
* No other concurrent systemic therapy