Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IIB, Stage IIC, Stage III, or Stage IV Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed malignant melanoma
• * Stage IIB, IIC, III, or IV disease
• * Patients free of disease after surgical resection must meet 1 of the following criteria:
• * Refused high-dose interferon alfa
• * Recurrence while on interferon alfa
• * Patients with stage IIB, IIC, or III disease must have already undergone initial standard therapy (i.e., surgery) for the disease
• Choroidal (uveal) melanoma allowed provided 1 of the following criteria is met:
• * Basal diameter \> 16 mm
• * Basal height \> 8 mm
• * Involvement of the ciliary body with tumor
• HLA-A\*0201 positive
• Negative serum antidouble-stranded DNA antibody screen
• No known brain metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Karnofsky performance status 80-100%
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3
• Lactic dehydrogenase ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• Bilirubin ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Albumin ≥ 3.5 mg/dL
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Weight ≥ 25 kg
• No preexisting choroidal eye disease
• No serious underlying medical conditions that could be exacerbated by study participation (i.e., active infections requiring antimicrobial drugs or active bleeding)
• No allergy to gold (i.e., gold jewelry)
• No evidence of any condition at the proposed site(s) of vaccine administration that might interfere with the interpretation of local skin reactions, including any of the following:
• * Damaged skin
• * Moles
• * Scars
• * Tattoos
• * Marks
• No prior medical condition or use of medication (e.g., corticosteroids) that might make it difficult for the patient to complete the full course of treatment or to respond immunologically to vaccines
• No history or evidence (within the past 5 years) of a physician-diagnosed chronic or recurrent inflammatory skin disease at the proposed site of vaccine administration, including any of the following:
• * Psoriasis
• * Eczema
• * Atopic dermatitis
• * Hypersensitivity
• No history of keloid formation
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered
• No prior immunization with any class of vaccine containing gp100 peptide
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent systemic therapy or radiotherapy