ABI-007 in Treating Patients With Inoperable Locally Recurrent or Metastatic Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed melanoma
• * Inoperable locally recurrent or metastatic disease
• Measurable disease
• * No lytic or blastic bone metastasis as only evidence of metastasis
• * Prior radiotherapy to a target lesion allowed provided there has been clear progression of disease since completion of radiotherapy
• No active brain metastasis, including leptomeningeal involvement
• * Prior brain metastasis allowed provided the disease is in complete remission for at least 1 month after therapy
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy
• More than 12 weeks
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
• Hepatic
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN (unless bone metastasis is present in the absence of liver metastasis)
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• Renal
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception 1 month before and during study participation
• No pre-existing peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
• No prior allergy or hypersensitivity to study drug
• No concurrent clinically significant illness
• No other concurrent active malignancy
• No serious medical risk factors involving any of the major organ systems that would preclude study participation
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy
• Recovered from prior chemotherapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy
• At least 3 weeks since prior anthracyclines
• No concurrent taxane or anthracyclines
• No concurrent doxorubicin
• Endocrine therapy
• No concurrent steroids except as needed for hypersensitivity to study drug
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• Concurrent radiotherapy to a symptomatic non-target lesion (including recurrent or new brain metastases that develop during study participation) allowed
• Surgery
• Not specified
• Other
• More than 4 weeks since prior investigational drugs and recovered
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• No concurrent participation in another clinical study
• No other concurrent investigational therapies
• No concurrent ritonavir, saquinavir, indinavir, or nelfinavir