Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed locoregional or metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma
• * Stage III or IV disease
• * Stage III: pT4b, N0, M0 (satellite metastases) or any pT, N1 or pT, N1 or N2a-c, M0 (lymph node metastases or in transit intralymphatic metastases)
• * Stage IV: any pT, N1-2, M1a-b
• * Surgically incurable
• * Incurable with standard treatment (i.e., localized chemotherapy/limb perfusion for stage III, systemic chemotherapy for stage IV)
• Unidimensionally or bidimensionally measurable disease by physical examination (e.g., cutaneous metastases) and/or non-invasive radiologic procedures NOTE: Stage III lesions may be measurable lymph nodes after incomplete resection and/or inoperable in transit metastases
• HLA-A1 and/or HLA-A2 expression by serologic HLA typing
• * HLA-A2.01 subtype must be confirmed by polymerase chain reaction on genomic DNA obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells
• No active CNS metastases
• * Previously treated CNS metastases (e.g., excision of a single metastasis) allowed if no active disease present by CT scan or MRI
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• Over 18
• Performance status
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy
• At least 6 months
• Hematopoietic
• WBC greater than 2,500/mm\^3
• Neutrophil count greater than 1,000/mm\^3
• Lymphocyte count greater than 700/mm\^3
• Platelet count greater than 75,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin greater than 9 g/dL
• No bleeding disorders
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL
• No hepatitis B or C
• Renal
• Creatinine less than 2.5 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular
• No clinically significant heart disease
• Pulmonary
• No clinically significant respiratory disease
• Immunologic
• No active systemic infection
• No immunodeficiency disease
• * No evidence of HIV-1, HIV-2, or human T-cell lymphocytic virus-1
• No active autoimmune disease including, but not limited to:
• * Lupus erythematosus
• * Autoimmune thyroiditis or uveitis
• * Multiple sclerosis
• * Inflammatory bowel disease NOTE: Vitiligo allowed
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 weeks after study participation
• No organic brain syndrome or significant psychiatric abnormality that would preclude study participation and follow-up
• No contraindication to leukapheresis
• No other active malignant neoplasms
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior systemic immunotherapy
• No concurrent immunotherapy during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination
• Chemotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 4 weeks since prior systemic chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas \[e.g., fotemustine\])
• No concurrent chemotherapy during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination
• Endocrine therapy
• No concurrent corticosteroids during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination
• Radiotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy to the spleen
• Concurrent palliative radiotherapy allowed for selected metastases (e.g., pain or local complications such as compression)
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior surgery
• No prior splenectomy
• No prior organ allografts
• Concurrent surgery of selected metastases (e.g., pain or local complications such as compression) allowed
• Other
• No other concurrent investigational drugs during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination
• No concurrent paramedical substance during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination
• No concurrent participation or intent to participate in another clinical trial