Immunization of Patients With Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Inclusion Criteria:

• Written informed consent conforming to the institutional guidelines obtained from the patient.
• A diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), patients will undergo or have had surgical resection. Patients who have already had surgery and have available banked tumor samples can be registered AFTER surgery.
• Age 18 or above.
• Karnofsky performance status > 70

• Adequate hematologic function:

  • Absolute neutrophil count > 1,000/mm3
  • Absolute lymphocyte count > 1,000/mm3
  • Hemoglobin > 9 g/dL
  • Platelets > 100,000/mm3

• Liver function tests:

  • Bilirubin (total) < 1.7 mg/dL
  • Alkaline phosphatase < 78 u/L (2 x ULN)
  • SGOT < 54 u/L (2 x ULN)

• Kidney profile:

  • Serum electrolytes

    • Sodium 135-145 mEq/L
    • Potassium 3.5-5.0 mEq/L
    • Bicarbonate 21-28 mEq/L
    • Chloride 100-108 mmol/L
  • Serum creatinine < 4.5 mg/dL (3 x ULN)
  • BUN 8-25 mg/dL
• At least a 4 week interval should have elapsed between vaccination and any prior radiation therapy, chemotherapy or any other treatment. Patients should have recovered from surgery and adjuvant treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

• One or more of the Inclusion Criteria are not met.
• A significant history or current evidence of cardiac disease including, but not limited to: congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, angina pectoris, uncontrolled hypertension, serious arrythmias or myocardial infarction within the previous six months.
• Evidence of active infection requiring antibiotic therapy.
• Active intracranial metastases. Patients with previously resected intracranial disease and/or previously irradiated intracranial metastases that have been stable for four weeks are eligible.
• Pregnant or lactating women. Pregnant women are excluded from this study. Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test. Because there is an unknown but potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother, breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated on study.
• Patients requiring systemic corticosteroids (unless patient has had NO STEROIDS IN THE PAST 4 WEEKS).
• Autoimmune disease including, but not limited to, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematous, multiple sclerosis, or ankylosing spondylitis
• Patient must not have post-obstructive pneumonia or other serious infection at the time of registration or other serious underlying medical condition that would impair the ability of the patient to receive protocol treatment.
• Patient is not a candidate for complete resection of the carcinoma via pneumonectomy, lobectomy, bilobectomy, or anatomic segmentectomy with or without sleeve resection as noted in the surgical plan.
• Prior resection of lung cancer is allowed, if at least five years have elapsed between previous resection and registration.
• No prior malignancy is allowed except for adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, in situ cervical cancer, or other cancer from which the patient has been disease-free for at least 5 years prior to registration.
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.