Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Liver Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: HLA-A*0201 positive adults over the age of 18. Have HCC with a serum AFP determination >30ng/ml. Both male and female patients may be enrolled. Karnofsky Performance Status greater than or equal to 70 percent. No previous evidence of class 3 or greater New York Heart Association cardiac insufficiency or coronary artery disease. No previous evidence of opportunistic infection. Adequate baseline hematological function as assessed by the following laboratory values with 30 days prior to study entry: Hemoglobin >9.0g/dl Platelets >50000/mm3 Absolute Neutrophil Count >1,000/mm3 Child-Pugh Class A or B for chronic liver disease. Ability to give informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: Any congenital or acquired condition leading to inability to generate an immune response, including concomitant immune suppressive therapy. Concomitant steroid therapy or chemotherapy, or any of these other treatments < 30 days before the first vaccination. Females of child-bearing potential must have negative serum beta-HCG pregnancy test (within Day -14 to Day 0). Acute infection: any acute viral, bacterial, or fungal infection, which requires specific therapy. Acute therapy must have been completed within 14 days prior to study treatment. HIV-infected patients. Patients with any underlying conditions which would contraindicate therapy with study treatment. Patients with organ allografts. O2 sat <91% on room air; dyspnea at rest.