DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed colorectal*, noncolorectal*, ovarian, or breast carcinoma

  • Measurable or evaluable metastatic disease (for patients with colorectal* or noncolorectal* disease)
  • Metastatic disease documented by biopsy but not evaluable by radiographic imaging (e.g., small volume peritoneal disease) (for patients with colorectal* or noncolorectal* disease)
  • Surgically resected metastatic disease at high-risk of relapse (for patients with colorectal* or noncolorectal* disease)
  • Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)- or MUC-1 antigen-positive (≥ 20% of cells) by immunohistochemistry OR elevated CEA (> 5 μg/L) at any point during the course of disease (for patients with colorectal* or noncolorectal* disease)
  • Evaluable metastatic disease (for patients with ovarian and breast carcinoma)

• HLA-A2 positive (for patients with colorectal carcinoma*)

  • At least 10 patients with noncolorectal* carcinoma must be HLA-A2-positive
  • Patients with breast and ovarian carcinoma are not required to be HLA-A2 positive

• Completed ≥ 1 fluorouracil-containing chemotherapy regimen (e.g., fluorouracil and leucovorin calcium with or without either irinotecan or oxaliplatin) for colorectal carcinoma*

  • Patients with noncolorectal*, breast, or ovarian carcinoma must have failed OR be ineligible for therapy of proven efficacy
• No evidence of clinically active brain metastasis

• Hormone receptor status

  • Not specified NOTE: *No longer accruing patients other than those with breast cancer as of 11/1/2007

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Menopausal status

• Not specified

Sex

• Male or female

Performance status

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• 6 months or longer

Hematopoietic

• Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL

Hepatic

• Bilirubin normal (≤ 3.0 mg/dL for patients with Gilbert's disease)
• AST ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal
• Hepatitis B and C negative

Renal

• Creatinine normal OR
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

• No clinically significant cardiomyopathy
• No cardiac complications including a cerebrovascular accident within the past year
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure unless stable on treatment
• No symptomatic arrhythmia unless controlled by medication
• No unstable atherosclerotic heart disease requiring active intervention
• No history of myocardial infarction or embolic stroke within the past 6 months
• No history of cardiomyopathy or symptomatic congestive heat failure (unless stable on treatment)
• No history of symptomatic arrhythmia (unless controlled by medication)
• No unstable atherosclerotic heat disease (e.g., unstable angina) requiring active intervention

Immunologic

• HIV negative
• No active autoimmune disease requiring treatment OR history of autoimmune disease that may be stimulated by vaccine therapy
• No allergy or untoward reaction to prior vaccinia virus vaccine

• No altered immune function, including any of the following conditions:

  • Immunodeficiency
  • Eczema or other eczematoid skin disorders
  • Acute, chronic, or exfoliative skin conditions (e.g., atopic dermatitis, burns, impetigo, varicella zoster, severe acne, or other open rashes or wounds)
• No serious hypersensitivity reaction to egg products
• No inflammatory eye condition that may require medication during study treatment
• No active infection with fever > 100°F

Gastrointestinal

• No inflammatory bowel disease
• No Crohn's disease
• No ulcerative colitis
• No active diverticulitis

Other

• Endocrine disease, including thyroid disease, adrenal disease, and vitiligo, that is controlled by replacement therapy allowed
• Clinically stable to complete the full 3 month course of vaccination

• No close household contact (sharing housing or having close physical contact) with the following individuals for 3 weeks after each vaccination:

  • Individuals with active or history of eczema or other eczematoid skin disorders
  • Individuals with other unresolved acute, chronic, or exfoliative skin disorders (e.g., atopic dermatitis, burns, impetigo, varicella zoster, severe acne, or other open rashes or wounds)
  • Pregnant or nursing women
  • Children under 3 years of age
  • Immunodeficient or immunosuppressed individuals (by disease or therapy), including HIV-positive individuals
• No other serious medical condition that would preclude study participation
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 months after completion of study treatment (unless prior hysterectomy or bilateral oopherectomy)
• No history of encephalitis, multiple sclerosis, or seizures (from seizure disorder or brain metastasis) within the past year

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Prior immunotherapy with related vaccinia or fowlpox vaccines or antigen-specific peptides allowed
• No other concurrent anticancer immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 6 weeks since prior nitrosoureas or mitomycin
• No concurrent chemotherapy unless receiving trastuzumab (Herceptin) for breast cancer treatment

Endocrine therapy

• No concurrent systemic steroids except physiologic doses for systemic steroid replacement OR local (topical, nasal, or inhaled) steroid use

  • Limited doses of systemic steroids allowed for prevention of allergic or anaphylactic reaction to IV contrast agents for patients with known allergy to contrast media
• No steroid eye drops for 2 weeks before until 4 weeks after initial vaccinia vaccination

• No concurrent anticancer hormonal therapy

  • Patients with prostate cancer who have not undergone orchiectomy must continue gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy

Radiotherapy

• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

• No concurrent major surgery

Other

• Recovered from all prior therapy
• More than 72 hours since prior antibiotics
• No known prior vaccina vaccination (small pox vaccine)
• No other concurrent antineoplastic therapy