Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IV Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed stage IV melanoma

• Must have tumor tissue available for determining antigen expression

  • At least 10% of tumor cells must stain positive for Melan-A/Mart-1 by immunohistochemistry
• HLA-A2 positive
• No brain metastases unless completely resected or without evidence of disease after treatment

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

• More than 3 months

Hematopoietic:

• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3
• WBC at least 3,000/mm3
• Platelet count at least 75,000/mm3
• Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL

Hepatic:

• SGOT and SGPT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• Hepatitis C antibody negative

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• Urea no greater than 2.6 times ULN

Other:

• Not pregnant, nursing, or planning to become pregnant within 6 months of treatment completion
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• HIV negative
• No medical, sociological, or psychological impediments that would preclude study

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior immunomodulatory drugs
• No other concurrent immunotherapy
• No concurrent immunomodulatory drugs

Chemotherapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy
• No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior systemic corticosteroids
• No concurrent systemic corticosteroids

Radiotherapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics

Other:

• At least 4 weeks since prior investigational drugs
• No other concurrent investigational drugs