Temozolomide, Thalidomide, and Lomustine in Treating Patients With Unresectable Stage III or Stage IV Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed metastatic malignant melanoma
• * Unresectable stage III OR stage IV disease
• * Ocular, mucosal, and cutaneous melanoma allowed
• Measurable disease
• * Indicator lesions within a prior radiotherapy field must have recent evidence of disease progression
• * Indicator lesions must be distinct from the surgical and/or radiation changes induced by prior local therapies
• No more than 2 symptomatic hemorrhagic lesions in the brain
• * No hemorrhagic lesion(s) greater than 1 cm in diameter
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• Karnofsky 80-100%
• Life expectancy
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT and SGPT no greater than 2 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN
• Lactic dehydrogenase no greater than 2 times ULN
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 2 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular
• No history of severe cardiovascular disease
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No unstable angina
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV congestive heart failure
• No ventricular arrhythmia
• No uncontrolled arrhythmia
• Gastrointestinal
• No frequent vomiting
• No other medical condition that would preclude oral medication intake (e.g., partial bowel obstruction)
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception during and for 4 weeks after study participation
• HIV negative
• No AIDS-related illness
• No serious infection requiring IV antibiotics
• No other uncontrolled medical illness that would preclude study participation
• No other malignancy within the past 2 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or T1a or b prostate cancer meeting all of the following criteria:
• * Detected incidentally at transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)
• * Comprises less than 5% of resected tissue
• * Prostate-specific antigen normal since TURP
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• At least 3 weeks since prior immunotherapy or biologic therapy
• No concurrent immunotherapy
• Chemotherapy
• No prior systemic chemotherapy for melanoma
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior focused radiotherapy for brain metastases
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiosurgery
• At least 4 weeks since prior whole brain radiotherapy
• At least 3 weeks since prior interstitial brachytherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior surgery for brain metastases
• At least 3 weeks since prior surgery requiring general anesthesia
• Other
• Recovered from all prior therapies