Vaccine Therapy With or Without Interleukin-2 in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the clinical response of patients receiving DNA gp100 antigen alone or in combination with interleukin-2 for recurrent metastatic melanoma. II. Identify the immunologic response in these patients prior to and after these treatments. III. Determine the toxicity of these treatments in these patients. PROTOCOL OUTLINE: Patients are accrued for the first three cohorts and the study proceeds to the final two cohorts if responses are observed. Cohort I: Patients receive gp100 antigen intramuscularly (IM) into each of 2 proximal extremities once every 4 weeks for up to 4 doses. (Closed as of December, 1999) Cohort II: Patients receive gp100 antigen intradermally (ID) at 5 sites on each of 2 proximal extremities once every 4 weeks for up to 4 doses. (Closed as of December, 1999) Cohort III: Patients receive gp100 antigen IM into each of 2 proximal extremities once every 4 weeks for up to 4 doses. If patients do not exhibit immunologic response or dose-limiting toxicity, they may receive a higher dose of gp100 antigen on subsequent courses. Cohort IV: If cohorts I, II, or III do not produce an immune response and do not experience dose-limiting toxicity, patients receive a higher dose of gp100 antigen IM into each of 2 proximal extremities every 4 weeks for up to 4 doses. Cohort V: Patients receive gp100 antigen IM or ID at the dose found to produce immunization once every 4 weeks for up to 4 doses. Patients also receive interleukin-2 IV over 15 minutes every 8 hours for 5 days (15 doses), beginning within 24 hours after gp100 antigen. Patients with minor, mixed, or partial response or stable disease may receive additional courses of treatment following 3-4 weeks of rest. Patients receive a maximum of 12 courses. Patients are followed at 4-6 weeks. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A maximum of 65 patients will be accrued for this study within 1 year.