Vaccine Therapy and Monoclonal Antibody Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IV Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed stage IV melanoma
• * Mucosal or ocular melanoma allowed
• Clinically evaluable disease
• HLA-A\*0201 positive
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 16 and over
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy:
• At least 6 months
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 2,500/mm\^3
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL
• Hematocrit at least 30%
• Hepatic:
• AST no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin no greater than ULN (less than 3.0 mg/dL in patients with Gilbert's syndrome)
• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• Hepatitis C antibody nonreactive
• Renal:
• Creatinine less than 2.0 mg/dL
• Immunologic:
• Antinuclear antibody negative
• Thyroglobulin antibody normal
• Rheumatoid factor normal
• HIV negative
• No prior autoimmune disease (including uveitis and autoimmune inflammatory eye disease)
• No active infection
• No hypersensitivity to Montanide ISA-51
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, superficial bladder cancer, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No other underlying medical condition that would preclude study therapy
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 3 weeks since prior immunotherapy for melanoma and recovered
• No prior gp100 peptides
• No prior anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 monoclonal antibody
• Chemotherapy:
• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy for melanoma and recovered
• No concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• At least 3 weeks since prior hormonal therapy for melanoma and recovered
• At least 4 weeks since prior systemic or topical corticosteroids
• No concurrent topical or systemic corticosteroids
• Radiotherapy:
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy for melanoma and recovered
• Surgery:
• Not specified
• Other:
• No other concurrent immunosuppressive agents (e.g., cyclosporine and its analog)