Biological Therapy and Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer or Colorectal Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic renal cell carcinoma or colorectal carcinoma, meeting 1 of the following criteria:

  * Obtained no benefit from prior standard or salvage therapy
  * Ineligible for standard therapy because of concurrent illness
  * Declined standard therapy
* At least 1 site of measurable disease that can be measured in at least 1 dimension

  * At least 20 mm with conventional techniques OR at least 10 mm with spiral CT scan
* No untreated or unstable, treated brain metastasis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

* More than 3 months

Hematopoietic:

* WBC at least 4,000/mm\^3
* Granulocyte count at least 2,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL
* No coagulation disorders

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 2.5 mg/dL\*
* ALT/AST less than 3 times upper limit of normal\*
* PT no greater than 1.5 times control (unless therapeutically anticoagulated)
* PTT less than 1.5 times control (unless therapeutically anticoagulated) NOTE: \*Patients whose cancer has led to values that do not fall within the above ranges may be eligible at the discretion of the investigators

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL\* NOTE: \*Patients whose cancer has led to values that do not fall within the above range may be eligible at the discretion of the investigators

Cardiovascular:

* No symptomatic congestive heart failure
* No unstable angina pectoris
* No cardiac arrhythmia
* No thrombophlebitis

Pulmonary:

* FEV\_1 and FVC at least 65% predicted
* No uncontrolled pulmonary embolism

Other:

* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except resected basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
* No prior allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to interleukin-12-primed activated T cells or other study agents
* No active autoimmune disease
* No uncontrolled thyroid abnormalities
* No ongoing or active infection
* No other uncontrolled concurrent illness
* No psychiatric illness or social situations that would preclude study compliance
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for up to 2 years after study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy

Chemotherapy:

* More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered

Endocrine therapy:

* At least 4 weeks since prior steroid therapy or steroid-containing compounds
* At least 2 weeks since prior topical or inhaled steroids

Radiotherapy:

* More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

Surgery:

* More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery

Other:

* No other concurrent investigational agents
* No other concurrent commercial anticancer agents
* No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients