Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Primary Stage II Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed primary stage II melanoma greater than 1.5 mm without evidence of lymph node metastases
• * T3 or T4, N0, M0
• * Must originate in the skin
• Wide excision with a minimum of 1-2 cm margin surrounding primary lesion or biopsy scar
• * No more than 56 days since definitive surgical treatment (wide excision)
• * No more than 12 weeks since primary surgery
• No clinical, radiological, or pathological evidence of incompletely resected disease, lymph node metastases, in-transit metastasis, or any distant metastatic disease
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 to 80
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 9.8 g/dL
• Hepatic:
• SGOT/SGPT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN
• LDH no greater than 2 times ULN
• Bilirubin no greater than 2 times ULN
• Hepatitis B and C negative
• Renal:
• Creatinine normal
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• No prior or other concurrent cancer except carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal or squamous cell skin cancer
• No autoimmune disorders
• No conditions requiring systemic treatment with immunosuppressive drugs including treatment with systemic corticosteroids
• No history of CNS demyelinating or inflammatory disease
• No hereditary or acquired peripheral neuropathy
• No other significant medical or surgical condition or psychiatric disorders requiring medication that would preclude study
• No history of severe allergic reaction to shellfish
• HIV negative
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• No prior immunotherapy
• No other concurrent biologic therapy
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior systemic chemotherapy
• No concurrent cytotoxic chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• No concurrent hormonal therapy except replacement therapy
• No concurrent corticosteroids
• No concurrent chronic systemic steroids
• Radiotherapy:
• No prior adjuvant radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Other:
• No prior preoperative infusion or perfusion therapy
• No concurrent immunosuppressive medications
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy