Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the safety of peptide 946 melanoma vaccine (peptide 946), peptide 946 combined with tetanus peptide melanoma vaccine, or peptide 946-tetanus peptide conjugate in patients with high risk melanoma. II. Determine the immunogenicity of peptide 946 melanoma vaccine (peptide 946), peptide 946 combined with tetanus peptide melanoma vaccine, or peptide 946-tetanus peptide conjugate in patients with high risk melanoma. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, open-label study. Patients are randomized to 1 of 6 treatment arms: Arm I: Patients receive peptide 946 melanoma vaccine (peptide 946) emulsified with QS21 subcutaneously (SQ). Arm II: Patients receive peptide 946 emulsified with Montanide ISA-51 (ISA-51) SQ. Arm III: Patients receive peptide 946 combined with tetanus peptide melanoma vaccine (tetanus peptide) emulsified with QS21 SQ. Arm IV: Patients receive peptide 946 combined with tetanus peptide emulsified with ISA-51 SQ. Arm V: Patients receive peptide 946-tetanus peptide conjugate emulsified with QS21 SQ. Arm VI: Patients receive peptide 946-tetanus peptide conjugate emulsified with ISA-51 SQ. Initially, 4 patients are randomized to Arm I and 4 patients are randomized to Arm II. If no dose limiting toxicities are observed in these patients, then additional patients are randomized to arms III-VI. Patients in each arm receive vaccine on day 0 and at months 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 12. Patients are followed at 6 and 12 months. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A maximum of 36 patients will be accrued for this study.