Interleukin-12 and Interferon Alfa in Treating Patients With Metastatic Kidney Cancer or Malignant Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed renal cell carcinoma or malignant melanoma
• Strong clinical evidence or biopsy proof of metastases to a site or sites distant from the primary tumor
• Bidimensionally measurable of evaluable disease
• No significant effusions and/or ascites
• No more than 3 prior regimens for metastatic disease
• No known CNS metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy:
• At least 3 months
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 9.5 g/dL
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• ALT/AST no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.8 mg/dL
• Calcium no greater than 11.5 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular:
• No history of serious cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac arrhythmia requiring treatment
• No congestive heart failure
• No angina pectoris
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No active peptic ulcer
• No autoimmune disease
• No inflammatory bowel disease
• No local or systemic infections requiring IV antibiotics within the past 28 days
• No known seizure disorder
• No other prior malignancy except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or any curatively treated malignancy in complete remission for at least 3 years
• HIV, hepatitis B surface antigen, and hepatitis C negative
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Recovered from prior biologic therapy
• Chemotherapy:
• Recovered from prior chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• At least 28 days since prior hormonal therapy and recovered
• No concurrent corticosteroids except for replacement steroids
• Radiotherapy:
• Recovered from prior radiotherapy
• At least 28 days since prior radiotherapy for control of pain from skeletal lesions
• Surgery:
• At least 28 days since prior major surgery requiring general anesthesia
• No organ allografts
• Other:
• No concurrent aspirin
• No concurrent barbiturates
• No other concurrent investigational agents