Fludarabine Followed by Vaccine Therapy and White Blood Cell Infusions in Treating Patients With Unresectable or Metastatic Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed malignant melanoma
• * Metastatic or unresectable disease
• Measurable disease
• HLA-A2 positive
• Received at least 1 prior immunotherapy and/or chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease (first 6 patients only)
• No known brain metastases unless previously treated with radiotherapy and/or surgery AND is stable for at least 1 month after treatment
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-2 OR
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy
• More than 3 months
• Hematopoietic
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Absolute lymphocyte count ≥ 500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL (transfusions allowed)
• Hematocrit ≥ 24%
• No other active bleeding
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin \< 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (unless due to Gilbert's disease)
• AST and ALT \< 3 times ULN
• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• Hepatitis C antibody negative
• Renal
• Creatinine \< 2 mg/dL
• No uncontrolled hypercalcemia
• Cardiovascular
• No uncontrolled symptomatic congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia
• No uncontrolled hypertension
• Pulmonary
• No uncontrolled bronchospasm
• No hemoptysis
• Immunologic
• Negative serology for all of the following:
• * HIV-1 and HIV-2
• * HTLV-1 and -2
• * Syphilis
• Rheumatoid factor \< 43 units/μL
• Anti-nuclear antibody \< 11 units/μL
• No history of multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or myasthenia gravis
• No primary or secondary immunodeficiency
• No active infection
• No allergy to seafood or shellfish that would preclude study participation
• Other
• No active gastrointestinal bleeding
• No uncontrolled hyperglycemia
• No other medical or psychiatric condition or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No other uncontrolled illness
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 3-4 months after study participation
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior immunization with gp100:209-217(210M) peptide
• Chemotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
• Endocrine therapy
• More than 2 weeks since prior steroid therapy except replacement steroids or inhaled steroids
• No concurrent corticosteroids except replacement steroids
• No concurrent dexamethasone
• Radiotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior surgery
• Other
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy