Bevacizumab With or Without Interferon Alfa in Treating Patients With Metastatic Malignant Melanoma

Inclusion Criteria

• •Histologically or cytologically confirmed cutaneous malignant melanoma
• •* Must meet one of the following criteria:
• •* Clinical evidence of metastatic disease
• •* Unresectable regional lymphatic disease
• •* Extensive in transit recurrent disease
• •Measurable disease
• •* At least 20 mm by conventional techniques OR at least 10 mm by spiral computed tomography (CT) scan
• •No known brain metastases
• •No ocular melanoma
• •Performance status - Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-2
• •Performance status - Karnofsky 60-100%
• •More than 6 months
• •White blood cells (WBC) at least 3,000/mm\^3
• •Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• •No clinical evidence of coagulopathy
• •Bilirubin =\< 2.0 mg/dL (3.0 mg/dL for patients with Gilbert's disease provided patient is stable and asymptomatic)
• •Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• •Prothrombin time (PT)/International normalized ratio (INR) less than 1.5
• •Creatinine =\< 1.5 mg/dL
• •Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
• •Protein \< 1,000 mg on 24-hour urine collection for patients with proteinuria \>= 1+
• •No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• •No unstable angina pectoris
• •No cardiac arrhythmia
• •No history of thrombosis (e.g., deep vein thrombosis), unless the following criteria are met:
• •* INR in normal range (usually 2-3) AND on a stable dose of warfarin or low molecular weight heparin
• •* No active bleeding or pathologic condition that would confer a high risk of bleeding (e.g., known varices or tumor involving major vessels)
• •No uncontrolled hypertension
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No prior allergic reactions to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to bevacizumab or interferon alfa
• •No ongoing or active infection
• •No other concurrent uncontrolled illness
• •No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• •Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) allowed provided otherwise well
• •At least 4 weeks since prior adjuvant interferon alfa
• •No prior interferon alfa for metastatic disease
• •No prior cytokine therapy for metastatic disease (e.g., high-dose interleukin-2 \[IL-2\])
• •* Prior IL-2 allowed for patients randomized to arm III only
• •No prior investigational antiangiogenic agents
• •No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease
• •At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered
• •At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• •No other concurrent investigational agents