Fludarabine Followed By Adoptive Immunotherapy in Treating Patients With Stage IV Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed metastatic melanoma
• * Stage IV disease
• HLA-A2 or -A3-expressing disease
• Bidimensionally measurable residual disease by palpation or radiographic imaging (e.g., x-ray or CT scan)
• No CNS metastases
• * Previously treated CNS involvement allowed provided there is no evidence of CNS disease at least 2 months after completion of therapy
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 to 75
• Performance status
• Karnofsky 80-100%
• Life expectancy
• More than 6 months
• Hematopoietic
• Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3
• Absolute neutrophil count \> 2,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic
• SGOT no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.6 mg/dL
• INR no greater than 1.5 times normal
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
• Cardiovascular
• No congestive heart failure
• No clinically significant hypotension
• No symptoms of coronary artery disease
• No cardiac arrhythmia by EKG requiring drug therapy
• Pulmonary
• No clinically significant pulmonary dysfunction
• FEV\_1 at least 1.0 L\*
• DLCO at least 45%\* NOTE: \*For patients with a history of pulmonary dysfunction
• Immunologic
• No active infection
• No oral temperature greater than 38.2°C within the past 48 hours
• No systemic infection requiring chronic maintenance or suppressive therapy
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• No concurrent immunotherapy (e.g., interleukins, interferons, melanoma vaccines, IV immunoglobulins, expanded polyclonal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, or lymphokine-activated killer therapy)
• Chemotherapy
• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (standard or experimental)
• Endocrine therapy
• No concurrent steroids
• Radiotherapy
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Surgery
• Not specified
• Other
• At least 3 weeks since prior immunosuppressive therapy
• No concurrent pentoxifylline
• No other concurrent investigational agents