RATIONALE: Vaccines may make the body build an immune response to kill tumor cells.

PURPOSE: A phase I trial to study the side effects of vaccine therapy in patients with ovarian epithelial, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the safety of NY-ESO-1b peptide vaccine and Montanide® ISA-51 in patients with ovarian epithelial, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer.
• Determine the immunologic profile (NY-ESO-1 antibody, CD8+ cells, and delayed-type hypersensitivity) induced by this regimen in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is an open-label study.

Patients receive NY-ESO-1b peptide vaccine emulsified with Montanide® ISA-51 subcutaneously once every 3 weeks on weeks 1, 4, 7, 10, and 13 in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Patients are followed at 3 weeks (week 16) and then every 6-12 weeks for 2 years or until disease progression.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Histologically documented epithelial carcinoma arising in the ovary, fallopian tube, or peritoneum, from Stage II-IV at diagnosis, receiving initial cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy with at least one platinum-based chemotherapy regimen.

2. High risk feature defined as suboptimal primary debulking (remaining tumor masses with diameter ≥ 1.0 cm) or failure to normalize CA125 during primary therapy by the end of the third cycle or positive second-look surgery.

3. Patients must be in complete clinical remission defined as CA125 < 35 units, negative physical examination and no definite evidence of disease by computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis. Lymph nodes and/or soft tissue abnormalities ≤ 1.0 cm that are often present in the pelvis may not be considered definite evidence of disease.

4. Expected survival of at least 6 months.

5. Karnofsky performance scale ≥60%.

6. Within the last 2 weeks prior to study day 1, vital laboratory parameters should be within normal range, except for the following laboratory parameters, which should be within the ranges specified:

   • Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥1000/mm^3
   • Platelets ≥ 80,000/mm^3
   • Creatinine ≤ 1.5mg/dL
   • Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and total bilirubin all < 2.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) 7 Age ≥ 18 years.

8. Able and willing to give valid written informed consent. 9. HLA A02 positive. Exclusion Criteria

Patients were excluded from the study for any of the following reasons:

1. Clinically significant heart disease (NYHA Class III or IV).
2. Other serious illnesses, e.g., serious infections requiring antibiotics or bleeding disorders.
3. Patients with serious intercurrent illness, requiring hospitalization.
4. Metastatic disease to the central nervous system for which other therapeutic options, including radiotherapy, may be available.
5. Patients taking immunosuppressive drugs such as systemic corticosteroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
6. Known HIV positivity.
7. Other malignancy within 3 years prior to entry into the study, except for treated nonmelanoma skin cancer and cervical carcinoma in situ.
8. Mental impairment that may compromise the ability to give informed consent and comply with the requirements of the study.
9. Lack of availability for immunological and clinical follow-up assessments.
10. Participation in any other clinical trial involving another investigational agent within 4 weeks prior to enrollment.
11. Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
12. Women of childbearing potential: Refusal or inability to use effective means of contraception.

All patients entered into the study.

up to 16 weeks

All Adverse Events (AEs) occurring during the study were to be documented in the source records and on the respective AE Case Report Form (CRF), regardless of the assumption of a causal relationship. All events, which occurred after signed informed consent, were to be documented. All adverse events were graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC) Scale (Version 2.0, published April 30, 1999).