S0114 Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Gastric, Prostate, or Ovarian Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed diagnosis of one the following: Stage II-IV gastric cancer Stage IIC-IV ovarian cancer in first complete remission CA 125 normal and stable* Grade III anaplastic astrocytoma Stage IV (M1) prostate adenocarcinoma No small cell variations No biochemical progression after definitive surgery, defined by the following: Prostate-specific antigen more than 0.4 ng/mL which remains elevated on 2 additional measurements at least 2 weeks apart after prostatectomy Three consecutive rises in PSA, each at least 1 month apart after definitive radiotherapy Must be receiving androgen blockade PSA less than 5 ng/mL and stable* Documented EGFRvIII expression in primary tumor Must have received prior surgery and or chemoradiotherapy for disease (except prostate cancer patients) NOTE: *Stable defined as no increase over 2 measurements at least 28 days apart with the last measurement within the past 28 days PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 80 and under Performance status: Zubrod 0 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3,000/mm^3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3 Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL Hepatic: SGOT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN No hepatitis Renal: Not specified Other: No other malignancy in the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or adequately treated stage I or II cancer in complete remission No contraindication to receiving sargramostim (GM-CSF) or KLH-based vaccine products No autoimmune disease HIV negative Not pregnant or nursing Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: See Disease Characteristics At least 1 month since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy No concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: See Disease Characteristics At least 1 month since prior treatment dose corticosteroids No concurrent corticosteroids Radiotherapy: See Disease Characteristics No concurrent radiotherapy Surgery: See Disease Characteristics Other: Recovered from all prior therapies No concurrent enrollment on other phase I studies No other concurrent immune modulators