Vaccine Therapy With or Without Biological Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically proven stage IV melanoma
• Measurable disease
• * At least 1 lesion must be a minimum of 1.0 cm in diameter
• * Bone metastases are not considered to be measurable disease
• * No prior radiotherapy to area of measurable disease unless there is clearly progressive disease in this site or measurable disease exists outside the area of prior radiotherapy
• HLA-A2 positive
• No brain disease by MRI or CT scan within 4 weeks prior to randomization
• * Prior brain disease allowed if no evidence of active disease by 2 successive MRI evaluations completed at least 3 months apart
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 4,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Lymphocyte count greater than 700/mm \^3
• Hepatic:
• SGOT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin no greater than 2 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase and lactic dehydrogenase no greater than 2 times ULN
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.8 mg/dL
• Other:
• No significant detectable infection
• HIV negative
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except:
• * Any carcinoma in situ
• * Lobular carcinoma in situ of the breast
• * Carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• * Atypical melanocytic hyperplasia
• * Melanoma in situ
• * Basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
• No autoimmune disorders or conditions of immunosuppression
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• No prior MART-1:27-35, gp100:209-217 (210M), or tyrosinase:368-376 (370D) peptide
• Greater than 4 weeks since prior adjuvant immunotherapy, including sargramostim (GM-CSF) or interferon alfa-2b
• Chemotherapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
• Endocrine therapy:
• At least 2 weeks since prior and no concurrent systemic corticosteroids, including oral steroids (i.e., prednisone, dexamethasone); continuous use of topical steroid creams or ointments; or any inhalers containing steroids
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy for local control or palliation and recovered
• Surgery:
• Recovered from any prior major surgery