Interleukin-7 and Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed melanoma
• * Metastatic disease
• Measurable or evaluable disease
• Disease progression during or after prior interleukin-2 (IL-2) OR ineligible to receive high-dose IL-2\* OR has disease burden for which IL-2 is not indicated\* NOTE: \*If patient did not receive prior IL-2, must have progressed after prior standard first-line therapy (e.g., metastasectomy for single lesions or dacarbazine)
• HLA-A\*0201-positive disease
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy
• At least 3 months
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,000/mm\^3\*
• Absolute lymphocyte count ≥ 200/mm\^3\*
• Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3
• No proliferative hematologic disease NOTE: \*For 2 consecutive readings performed on 2 different days
• Hepatic
• AST and ALT \< 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• PT/PTT ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Hepatitis B negative
• * Positive hepatitis B serology indicative of prior immunization (i.e., positive for antibody against hepatitis B surface antigen AND negative for antibody against hepatitis B core antigen) allowed
• Hepatitis C negative
• Renal
• Creatinine ≤ 1.4 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular
• Ejection fraction \> 45% by MUGA for patients ≥ 50 years of age OR with a history of cardiac disease
• No resting blood pressure \> 140/90 mm Hg with standard antihypertensive therapy
• Pulmonary
• DLCO/VA and FEV\_1 \> 50% of predicted on pulmonary function test for smokers OR for patients with clinical evidence of compromised pulmonary function
• No history of severe asthma
• Immunologic
• HIV negative
• No history of autoimmune disease
• No splenomegaly
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No other medical or psychiatric disease that would preclude study participation
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 4 weeks since prior cytokines
• No prior allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
• No concurrent growth factors
• No concurrent monoclonal antibodies
• No other concurrent immunotherapy
• No other concurrent cytokines
• No other concurrent biologic agents
• Chemotherapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior intensive myeloablative chemotherapy
• No concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• More than 2 weeks since prior systemic corticosteroids for more than 72 hours in duration
• No concurrent systemic steroids
• Radiotherapy
• Not specified
• Surgery
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior splenectomy
• No prior solid organ transplantation
• Other
• More than 4 weeks since prior cytotoxic therapy
• No other concurrent cytotoxic therapy
• No concurrent chronic anticoagulation therapy (e.g., high-dose warfarin, heparin, or aspirin)
• * Concurrent low-dose warfarin (1-2 mg) allowed
• No concurrent chronic medication for asthma
• No concurrent immunosuppressive therapy