Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IV Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed stage IV melanoma
• Must have tumor tissue available for determining antigen expression
• * At least 10% of tumor cells must stain positive for Melan-A/Mart-1 by immunohistochemistry
• HLA-A2 positive
• No brain metastases unless completely resected or without evidence of disease after treatment
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy:
• More than 3 months
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3
• WBC at least 3,000/mm3
• Platelet count at least 75,000/mm3
• Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL
• Hepatic:
• SGOT and SGPT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• Hepatitis C antibody negative
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• Urea no greater than 2.6 times ULN
• Other:
• Not pregnant, nursing, or planning to become pregnant within 6 months of treatment completion
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• HIV negative
• No medical, sociological, or psychological impediments that would preclude study
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior immunomodulatory drugs
• No other concurrent immunotherapy
• No concurrent immunomodulatory drugs
• Chemotherapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy
• No concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior systemic corticosteroids
• No concurrent systemic corticosteroids
• Radiotherapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Other:
• At least 4 weeks since prior investigational drugs
• No other concurrent investigational drugs