Vaccine Therapy Plus Interleukin-2 in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Melanoma

RATIONALE: Vaccines made from melanoma cells may make the body build an immune response to and kill tumor cells. Colony-stimulating factors such as GM-CSF may increase the number of immune cells found in the bone marrow or peripheral blood. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill melanoma cells. Combining vaccine therapy with GM-CSF and interleukin-2 may be kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of vaccines made from melanoma cells with or without GM-CSF followed by interleukin-2 in treating patients with stage III or stage IV melanoma.

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare the effectiveness of vaccination with synthetic melanoma peptides pulsed on autologous dendritic cells versus vaccination with synthetic melanoma peptides plus sargramostim (GM-CSF) in decreasing tumor burden in patients with high risk melanoma (pulsed autologous dendritic cell arm closed 1/8/2001). II. Determine whether these regimens result in increased tumor specific immune responses as measured in vitro and in vivo. III. Determine whether these regimens stimulate T-cell responses in these patients. OUTLINE: This is an open label study. Patients are included in treatment arm II only (arm I closed 1/8/2001): Arm I: Patients undergo leukapheresis to collect dendritic cells. Patients receive a mixture of synthetic melanoma peptides (gp100 antigen, tyrosinase, and tetanus peptides) pulsed on autologous dendritic cells IV and subcutaneously (SC). Arm II: Patients receive a mixture of synthetic melanoma peptides (gp100 antigen, tyrosinase, and tetanus peptides) and sargramostim (GM-CSF) emulsified in Montanide ISA-51 SC and intradermally. Patients receive vaccination during weeks 0, 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 for a total of 6 doses and interleukin-2 SC daily on days 7-49. Patients receive 3 additional vaccinations at different sites not involved with the tumor concurrently with the first 3 vaccinations. Patients are evaluated at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 27-54 patients will be accrued for this study within 2 years.