Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed prostate cancer (closed to accrual as of 3/9/2005)

- Prior therapy on protocol NCI-00-C-0137 or NCI-00-C-0154

- Progressive disease (2 consecutively rising PSA levels, new bone scan lesion, or
progression of soft tissue)

- PSA at least 5 ng/mL

- Progressive androgen-independent disease

- Disease progression at least 4 weeks after flutamide withdrawal OR

- Disease progression at least 6 weeks after bicalutamide or nilutamide
withdrawal OR

- Histologically confirmed follicular or mantle cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (mantle
cell lymphoma closed to accrual as of 3/9/2005)

- Prior therapy on protocol NCI-00-C-0133, NCI-01-C-0169, or NCI-00-C-0050

- Progressive disease after standard treatment

- Relapsed disease OR

- Histologically confirmed colon cancer (colon cancer closed to accrual as of 9/28/05)

- Prior therapy on protocol NCI-99-C-0023

- Progressive disease OR

- Histologically confirmed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or Hodgkin's lymphoma

- Progressive disease after standard treatment

- No curative therapy exists

- Prior allogeneic stem cell transplantation from a matched sibling or matched
unrelated donor for an aggressive lymphoma allowed

- Last infusion of allogeneic cells (either hematopoietic stem cells or donor
lymphocytes) must have occurred > 90 days prior to study enrollment

- No other standard therapy available or refused such therapy

- No symptomatic or rapidly progressive malignancy requiring therapy

- No symptomatic CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- Karnofsky 80-100%

Life expectancy

- More than 2 months

Hematopoietic

- WBC at least 2,500/mm^3

- Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count at least 50,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL

- Hematocrit at least 30%

Hepatic

- Bilirubin no greater than 3.0 mg/dL (unless due to Gilbert's disease)

- SGOT and SGPT no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal

- Hepatitis B surface antigen negative

- Hepatitis C antibody negative

Renal

- Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

Immunologic

- HIV negative

- Rheumatoid factor negative if history or evidence of arthritis

- Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) titer no greater than 1:80 if history or clinical signs
or symptoms of connective tissue disease

- No prior or active autoimmune disease (e.g., uveitis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus
erythematosus, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, ulcerative and hemorrhagic colitis,
endocrine disorders [e.g., thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, autoimmune
hypophysitis/hypopituitarism, or adrenal insufficiency], sarcoid granuloma,
myasthenia gravis, polymyositis,or Guillain-Barre syndrome)

- No positive antibody titers to autoimmune diseases

- Rheumatoid factor positive allowed unless ANA titer is greater than 1:80 and
there is a history of or clinical signs or symptoms of connective tissue disease

- No active infection

Other

- No other active malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated squamous
cell or basal cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or superficial
bladder cancer

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 months after study
participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- Recovered from prior vaccine therapy

- No prior anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 monoclonal antibody
(MDX-CTLA4) for patients in part I of study

- Patients in part II of study may have had up to 4 prior treatments with
MDX-CTLA4

- No concurrent vaccine therapy

- No concurrent infliximab

Chemotherapy

- At least 4 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy

- No concurrent mercaptopurine, methotrexate, or cyclophosphamide

Endocrine therapy

- See Disease Characteristics

- At least 4 weeks since prior steroids

- No concurrent systemic, inhaled, or topical steroids

Radiotherapy

- At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

- At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery

Other

- Prior intervening therapy for prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or colon cancer
allowed

- No other concurrent investigational therapy

- No other concurrent immunosuppressants (e.g., cyclosporine or its analog)