Interferon Alfa Following Surgery in Treating Patients With Stage III Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed previously resected stage III primary cutaneous melanoma or unknown primary with regional lymph node involvement
• * N1 disease
• * Microscopic, nonpalpable nodal involvement
• * Primary melanoma of any stage with clinically inapparent N1 regional lymph node metastases (T1-4, N1, M0) detected by elective lymph node dissection or sentinel node biopsy
• * N2 disease
• * Palpable nodal involvement with synchronous primary melanoma or apparent nodal disease after prior excision (any pT, N2, M0)
• * Regional lymph node recurrence at any interval after surgery for primary melanoma of any depth (T1-4, rN2, M0)
• Complete resection of primary melanoma with adequate surgical margins
• Full lymphadenectomy must be performed within 70 days of study
• No mucous membrane melanoma or ocular melanoma
• No evidence of distant or nonregional lymph node metastases or in transit metastases (even if previously resected)
• No incompletely resected disease due to gross extracapsular extension
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 to 70
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL
• Hepatic:
• SGOT and SGPT less than 2 times upper limit of normal
• No active hepatitis
• Renal:
• Creatinine less than 2.0 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular:
• No severe cardiovascular disease including the following:
• * Arrhythmias requiring chronic treatment
• * Congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association class III or IV)
• * Symptomatic ischemic heart disease
• Other:
• No other prior malignancy within the past 5 years except surgically cured nonmelanomatous skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No thyroid dysfunction unresponsive to therapy
• No uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
• No active autoimmune disease
• No active and/or uncontrolled infection
• No history of neuropsychiatric disorder requiring hospitalization
• No known active alcohol or drug abuse
• HIV negative
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• No prior interferon alfa
• No prior immunotherapy for melanoma
• No other concurrent immunologic or biologic therapy
• No concurrent colony stimulating factors including epoetin alfa and filgrastim (G-CSF)
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior chemotherapy for melanoma
• No concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• No prior hormonal therapy for melanoma
• No concurrent hormonal therapy
• No concurrent chronic systemic corticosteroid therapy
• Radiotherapy:
• No prior radiotherapy for melanoma
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from any prior recent surgery
• Other:
• At least 30 days since other prior experimental therapy
• No other concurrent investigational drugs