Sodium Stibogluconate and IFNa-2b Followed By CDDP, VLB and DTIC Treating Pts.With Advanced Melanoma or Other Cancers

OBJECTIVES: Primary * To determine the safety of the combination of sodium stibogluconate and interferon alfa-2b with chemotherapy. * To confirm the activity of sodium stibogluconate in augmenting cytokine effects. Secondary * To quantify the effects of sodium stibogluconate on interferon alfa-2b induced gene modulation and signal transduction pathways by measuring the serum soluble gene products. * To define the effectiveness of sodium stibogluconate in inhibiting the protein tyrosine phosphatases SHP-1 and SHP-2 assayed from peripheral blood leukocytes of patients receiving sodium stibogluconate in combination with interferon alfa-2b. * To define the pharmacokinetics of sodium stibogluconate in serum at escalating doses. * To assess clinical response to the combination of sodium stibogluconate and interferon alfa-2b as priming for combination chemotherapy. OUTLINE: * Course 1: Patients receive sodium stibogluconate IV over 15 minutes on day 1 and days 15-18; interferon alfa-2b subcutaneously (SC) on days 8-12 and 15-18; cisplatin IV over 30-60 minutes and vinblastine IV on days 19 and 20; and dacarbazine. After a 2-week rest period, patients proceed to course 2. * Course 2 and all subsequent courses: Patients receive sodium stibogluconate IV over 15 minutes and interferon alfa-2b SC on days 1-4; cisplatin IV over 30-60 minutes and vinblastine IV on days 5 and 6; dacarbazine. Courses repeat every 4 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.\* NOTE: \*Patients with stage IV disease who have no evidence of disease \[NED} receive only 4 courses of therapy. Cohorts of 6 patients receive escalating doses of sodium stibogluconate until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is determined. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which dose-limiting toxicity occurs (i.e., no more than 1 patient at a given dose experiences DLT). Patients undergo blood sample collection periodically for immunological and pharmacokinetic studies. Samples are analyzed for serum soluble gene products and protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibition.