Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients Who Are Undergoing Surgery for Stage IB, Stage II, or Stage IIIA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer

  * Clinical stage IB-IIIA disease
* Candidate for surgical resection as primary treatment for tumor

  * Surgically resectable tumor ≥ 2.0 cm in diameter
* No brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* Zubrod 0-1

Life expectancy

* Not specified

Hematopoietic

* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Hematocrit ≥ 30%

Hepatic

* Hepatitis B surface antigen negative\*
* Hepatitis B core antigen negative\*
* Hepatitis C virus negative\*
* Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
* AST and ALT ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal NOTE: \*Screening performed only if liver enzymes are elevated

Renal

* Creatinine ≤ 2.2 mg/dL
* BUN ≤ 40 mg/dL

Pulmonary

* FEV\_1 \> 2.0 L (pre-resection) OR
* Predicted post-resection FEV\_1 \> 1.0 L
* No more than 2 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations requiring \> 2 weeks of oral steroids and/or hospitalization within the past year

Immunologic

* Purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test negative
* HIV-1 and HIV-2 negative
* No acute infection, including any acute viral, bacterial, or fungal infection requiring specific therapy within the past 7 days
* No allergy to study agents
* No known autoimmune or collagen vascular disorder

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
* No underlying condition that would preclude study therapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* No concurrent anti-tumor necrosis factor agents

Chemotherapy

* Standard adjuvant chemotherapy for lung cancer allowed provided therapy is completed ≥ 30 days before administration of the first study vaccine
* No concurrent cyclophosphamide

Endocrine therapy

* No concurrent high-dose corticosteroids (e.g., \> 10 mg of prednisone)
* Concurrent corticosteroids for minor breathing exacerbations allowed provided patient receives ≤ 2 short courses (≤ 10 days per course) within a 45-day period
* No concurrent corticosteroids within 48 hours before or after study vaccine administration

Radiotherapy

* Standard adjuvant radiotherapy for lung cancer allowed provided therapy is completed ≥ 30 days before administration of the first study vaccine

Surgery

* No prior organ allograft

Other

* No concurrent antihistamines within 48 hours before or after study vaccine administration
* No concurrent cimetidine or other H2 blockers within 48 hours before or after study vaccine administration
* Concurrent antibiotics for minor infection allowed provided patient receives ≤ 2 short courses (≤ 10 days per course) within a 45-day period
* No concurrent cyclosporine
* No concurrent azathioprine
* No other concurrent drugs known to significantly alter immune function
* No concurrent cytotoxic therapy
* No concurrent participation in another clinical trial involving experimental therapy
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy