OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the toxic effects and side effects associated with administration of autologous tumor cell vaccine together with adjuvant interferon gamma or sargramostim (GM-CSF) in patients with advanced cancer. II. Determine the rate of conversion of delayed tumor hypersensitivity in patients receiving subcutaneous injections of irradiated autologous tumor cells (autologous vaccine). III. Determine the effect of autologous vaccines on in vitro assays of immune antitumor activity. IV. Determine the failure free survival associated with the use of autologous tumor cell line vaccines in patients with advanced cancer.