Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IIIB, Stage IIIC, or Stage IV Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Diagnosis of stage IIIB, IIIC, or IV melanoma
• HLA-DR1, -DR4, -DR11, -DR13, or -DR15 positive
• Brain metastases allowed at the discretion of the principle investigator
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count \> 100,000/mm \^3
• Hemoglobin \> 9 g/dL
• Hepatic
• Liver function tests ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Renal
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Cardiovascular
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
• Other
• Prior diagnosis of other cancer allowed
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Weight ≥ 110 pounds
• No uncontrolled diabetes
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior growth factors
• More than 4 weeks since prior allergy shots
• More than 12 weeks since prior melanoma vaccine therapy\* NOTE: \*Prior melanoma vaccine allowed only for patients with disease progression during or after administration of the vaccine
• No prior vaccination with any of the peptides used in this study
• Chemotherapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior steroids
• Radiotherapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Surgery
• Not specified
• Other
• More than 1 month since prior investigational drugs or therapies
• No other concurrent investigational drugs or therapies