Rituxan and Abraxane for the Treatment of Patients With Inoperable Stage III and IV Malignant Melanoma

Rituxan and Abraxane are approved for the treatment of other cancers, but not for melanoma. Candidates for this study have melanoma that has spread to their lymph nodes or internal organs and that cannot be removed by a surgical procedure. The safety of this combination of drugs will also be looked at throughout this study. Rituxan will be administered IV at weeks 1 and 3 of each cycle. Abraxane will be administered IV weekly for 3 consecutive weeks. This is followed by 1 week of rest after which, the cycle is repeated. Following the second cycle, there will be a 4-week period of rest. Evaluation of response will occur on day 71 +/-3 days. If either disease stabilization or clear evidence of clinical response is observed two additional cycles of treatment will be administered. Lesions will be measured on the scan (CT or PET/CT), x-ray