Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IV or Recurrent Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed stage IV or recurrent melanoma
• * Metastatic disease confirmed by MRI or CT scan
• Planned resection of tumor
• No active CNS metastases
• * Radiographically confirmed lack of CNS disease progression
• * No requirement for pharmacologic doses of corticosteroids
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• Over 16
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• At least 4 months
• Hematopoietic:
• Hematocrit greater than 25%
• Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm\^3
• No ongoing transfusion requirements
• No active blood clotting or bleeding diathesis
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• Albumin at least 3.0 g/dL
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular:
• No underlying cardiac disease associated with known myocardial dysfunction
• No unstable angina related to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
• Other:
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except for carcinoma in situ, basal cell carcinoma, or localized squamous cell skin cancer
• No active, eminently life-threatening infection or medical condition
• Adequate venous access
• Not pregnant
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Other prior putative vaccines allowed
• Recovered from prior biologic therapy
• No other concurrent biologic therapy except epoetin alfa for patients with hematocrit less than 36%
• Chemotherapy:
• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent endocrine therapy
• Radiotherapy:
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy (including whole brain radiotherapy) and recovered
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior surgery
• Other:
• Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed for patients with lytic bone metastases
• No concurrent digoxin or other medications designed to improve cardiac output
• No other concurrent investigational therapy