Vaccine Therapy, GM-CSF, and Interferon Alfa-2b in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Cancer That Expresses Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)

Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologically confirmed carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-expressing carcinoma

  * Metastatic or locally advanced disease
* Tumor accessible for biopsy
* Must have received ≥ 1 prior systemic regimen for metastatic disease
* No known brain metastases
* Performance status - ECOG 0-2
* Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100%
* More than 6 months
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST and ALT ≤ 4.0 times ULN
* Hepatitis B negative
* Hepatitis C negative
* Creatinine ≤ 1.96 mg/dL
* Creatinine clearance \> 50 mL/min
* No persistent proteinuria
* Protein \< 1,000 mg by 24-hour urine collection
* No urinary sediment abnormalities
* No symptomatic congestive heart failure
* No unstable angina pectoris
* No cardiac arrhythmia
* No clinically significant cardiomyopathy requiring treatment
* No impaired function (i.e., ejection fraction \< 50%) for patients who have not had prior vaccine and are asymptomatic
* HIV negative
* No ongoing or active infection
* No history of allergic reaction to eggs or egg products
* No history of allergy or untoward reaction to prior vaccinia vaccination (e.g., smallpox immunization) or to any of its components
* No history of or active eczema or other eczematoid skin disorders
* No atopic dermatitis
* No other acute, chronic, or exfoliative skin conditions, including any of the following:

  * Burns
  * Impetigo
  * Varicella zoster
  * Severe acne
  * Other open wounds or rashes
* No immunocompromised condition
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 3 months after completion of study treatment

  * No sexual contact for 3 weeks after each vaccination treatment
* Must be willing to undergo tumor biopsy
* No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
* No life-threatening illness
* No other active malignancy within the past 2 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or superficial bladder or cervical lesions treated with surgical resection
* No other uncontrolled illness
* Must be able to avoid close household contact with the following individuals for ≥ 3 weeks after vaccinia vaccination:

  * Pregnant or nursing women
  * Children under 5 years of age
  * Individuals who are immunodeficient or immunosuppressed by disease or therapy (including HIV infection)
  * Individuals with the following conditions:

    * History of or active eczema or other eczematoid skin disorders
    * Atopic dermatitis
    * Other acute, chronic, or exfoliative skin conditions (e.g., burns, impetigo, varicella zoster, severe acne, or other open rashes or wounds)
* No concurrent influenza vaccine
* More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
* No concurrent steroid therapy, except topical or inhaled steroids
* No concurrent steroid eye drops
* More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
* More than 4 weeks since prior surgery and recovered
* No prior splenectomy
* No other concurrent investigational agents