RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies can locate tumor cells and either kill them or deliver tumor-killing substances to them without harming normal cells.

PURPOSE: This phase I trial is studying the side effects of monoclonal antibody therapy in treating patients with ovarian epithelial cancer, melanoma, acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, or non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the safety of anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 monoclonal antibody in patients with ovarian epithelial cancer, melanoma, acute myeloid leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, or non-small cell lung cancer not previously treated with sargramostim (GM-CSF)-based autologous tumor vaccines.
• Determine, preliminarily, the biologic activity and efficacy of this drug in these patients.

OUTLINE: Patients receive anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 monoclonal antibody IV over 90 minutes on day 1. Courses repeat every 2 months in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Patients are followed monthly until disease progression.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 48 patients (12 per disease type; 36 previously treated with a sargramostim (GM-CSF)-expressing autologous tumor cell vaccine and 12 not previously treated with this vaccine) will be accrued for this study.

• Leukemia
• Lung Cancer
• Melanoma (Skin)
• Myelodysplastic Syndromes
• Myelodysplastic/Myeloproliferative Diseases
• Ovarian Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of 1 of the following:

  • Ovarian epithelial cancer

    • Persistent or recurrent disease after primary surgery and chemotherapy
    • Received prior sargramostim (GM-CSF)-expressing autologous tumor cell vaccine

  • Melanoma

    • Stage IV disease
    • Received prior sargramostim (GM-CSF)-expressing autologous tumor cell vaccine

  • Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) meeting 1 of the following criteria:

    • Second relapse
    • First relapse with no option for bone marrow transplantation
    • Ineligible for immunosuppressive chemotherapy due to age or comorbid disease
  • Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)

  • Non-small cell lung cancer

    • Incurable by standard surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy
• No standard curative treatment exists
• No immediate palliative therapy required
• Measurable disease
• No CNS metastases unless previously treated and stable for at least 3 months

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Over 18

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

• WBC greater than 1,000/mm^3*
• Platelet count greater than 75,000/mm^3* NOTE: * Except for patients with AML/MDS

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin less than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST and ALT less than 2 times ULN

Renal:

• Creatinine less than 2 mg/dL

Immunologic

• No active infection
• No autoimmune disease requiring immunosuppressive treatment
• No active autoimmune disease threatening vital organ function

• No significant history of autoimmune disease that could be reactivated, including any of the following:

  • CNS (e.g., multiple sclerosis)
  • Eye (e.g., uveitis)
  • Intestine (e.g., irritable bowel disease)
  • Liver (e.g., hepatitis)
  • Kidney
  • Connective tissue disease (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, or polymyositis)
  • Heart (e.g., myocarditis)
• Possible autoimmune diseases that are managed with replacement therapy are allowed (e.g., diabetes mellitus or hypothyroid)

Other:

• No underlying medical condition that would preclude study participation
• No concurrent medical condition requiring systemic steroids
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• No prior anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 monoclonal antibody

Chemotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior hormonal therapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior systemic corticosteroids
• Concurrent inhaled or topical steroids allowed

Radiotherapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior major surgical procedures

Other:

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