Dendritic Cells (White Blood Cells) Vaccination for Advanced Melanoma

Inclusion Criteria:

• Unresectable stage III and stage IV M1a/M1b/M1c melanoma including patients with uveal melanoma
• Age ≥ 18 years
• Life expectancy ≥ 4 months
• ECOG performance status 0-2
• At least 28 days from prior treatment (including adjuvant interferon) except in cases of a BRAF inhibitor (such as vemurafenib); concurrent treatment with a BRAF inhibitor +/- MEK inhibitor is permitted

• Required initial laboratory values (submitted within 14 days prior to registration):

  • WBC >3,000/mm3
  • Hg ≥ 9.0 gm/dl
  • Platelets >75,000/mm3
  • Serum Bilirubin < 2.0 mg/dl
  • Serum Creatinine < 2.0 mg/dl
• Sexually active women of childbearing potential must use effective birth control during the trial and for at least two months following the trial, and sexually active men must be willing to avoid fathering a new child while receiving therapy.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Prior treatment with more than one line of cytotoxic chemotherapy; prior treatment with one line of cytotoxic chemotherapy is permitted. Prior treatment with targeted therapy (such as ipilumumab, anti-PD1, and BRAF inhibitor) is permitted.
• Active untreated CNS metastasis
• Active infection
• Prior malignancy (except non-melanoma skin cancer) within 3 years
• Pregnant or nursing
• Concurrent treatment with corticosteroids; local (inhaled or topical) steroids are permitted.
• Inability to provide adequate informed consent
• Known allergy to eggs
• Prior history or uveitis or autoimmune inflammatory eye disease.
• Known positivity for hepatitis BsAg, hepatitis C antibody, or HIV antibody.