Vaccine Therapy, Temozolomide, and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed glioblastoma multiforme (astrocytoma WHO grade IV disease)

  * Newly diagnosed disease
  * Resectable tumor (not including patients undergoing biopsy only or tumors involving the brain stem or cerebellum)
* Meets 1 of the following criteria regarding standard chemoradiotherapy:

  * Cohort 1

    * Eligible for standard chemoradiotherapy with temozolomide followed by adjuvant temozolomide

      * Has undergone surgical resection before study enrollment
  * Cohort 2

    * Completed standard chemoradiotherapy with temozolomide with no subsequent progression of disease
* Expected to complete standard chemoradiotherapy and 6 courses of adjuvant temozolomide
* HLA-A\*02 positive

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* WHO performance status 0-1
* Life expectancy ≥ 30 weeks
* Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1.5 x 10\^9/L
* Lymphocyte count ≥ 1.0 x 10\^9/L (cohort 1) OR ≥ 0.35 x 10\^9/L post-chemoradiotherapy and ≥ 1.0 x 10\^9/L prior to the start of chemoradiotherapy (cohort 2)
* Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* ALT or AST ≤ 3.0 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 3.0 times ULN
* Hepatitis B serology negative (HBcAg-seronegative)
* No known hepatitis C or HIV serological positivity
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use one (male) or two (female) highly effective forms of contraception 2 weeks before, during, and for 6 months after completion of study therapy
* Not at high medical risk due to nonmalignant systemic disease including active uncontrolled infection
* No known hypersensitivity to GM-CSF or excipients
* No history of autoimmune disease
* No concurrent congestive heart failure
* No prior history of NYHA class III-IV cardiac disease, cardiac ischemia, or cardiac arrhythmia
* No other condition that might interfere with the patient's ability to generate an immune response
* No other condition that, in the investigator's opinion, would make the patient not a good candidate for the clinical trial

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 7 days since prior dexamethasone (dose \> 4 mg daily or equivalent)
* At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery for any condition (except surgical resection as part of primary standard therapy in cohort 1)
* At least 30 days since prior and no concurrent participation in another clinical trial or planning to participate in another interventional clinical trial (concurrent participation on an observational study allowed)
* At least 30 days since prior and no other concurrent investigational drugs
* No prior treatment for glioblastoma including Gliadel Wafers

  * Early components of standard therapy are allowed if already initiated (i.e., surgical resection \[cohort 1\] or surgical resection followed by conventional external-beam radiotherapy and concomitant temozolomide \[cohort 2\])
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy
* No other concurrent vaccinations from 2 weeks before the first study vaccine to the end of the sixth study vaccine (the induction phase)