Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Diagnosis of melanoma
• * Metastatic disease
• * The following melanoma subtypes are eligible:
• * Unresectable, stage III-IV uveal melanoma
• * Metastatic mucosal melanoma
• Measurable disease after attempted curative surgical therapy
• Tumor tissue must be available for immunohistochemical staining
• * Positive for ≥ 1 of the following peptides:
• * MART-1: 26-35 (27L)
• * gp100: 209-217 (210M)
• * Tyrosinase: 368-376 (370D)
• HLA-A \*0201 positive by DNA polymerase chain reaction assay
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• ECOG performance status (PS) 0-1 OR Karnofsky PS 70-100%
• Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 75,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
• No major systemic infections
• No coagulation disorders
• No major medical illness of the cardiovascular or respiratory system
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No known HIV positivity
• No know positivity for hepatitis B surface antigen or hepatitis C antibody
• No prior uveitis or autoimmune inflammatory eye disease
• No other prior malignancy except cervical carcinoma in situ or basal cell skin cancer unless patient was curatively treated \> 5 years ago and has no detectable disease
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• See Disease Characteristics
• No more than 1 prior cytotoxic chemotherapy agent or regimen
• Prior biologic or antiangiogenic therapies allowed
• More than 1 month since prior and no concurrent radiotherapy, chemotherapy, adjuvant therapy, or any other therapy for melanoma
• No prior MART-1: 26-35 (27L), gp100: 209-217 (210M), or tyrosinase: 368-376 (370D) peptides
• No concurrent steroid therapy