DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed locoregional or metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma

  • Stage III or IV disease

    • Stage III: pT4b, N0, M0 (satellite metastases) or any pT, N1 or pT, N1 or N2a-c, M0 (lymph node metastases or in transit intralymphatic metastases)
    • Stage IV: any pT, N1-2, M1a-b
    • Surgically incurable
    • Incurable with standard treatment (i.e., localized chemotherapy/limb perfusion for stage III, systemic chemotherapy for stage IV)
• Unidimensionally or bidimensionally measurable disease by physical examination (e.g., cutaneous metastases) and/or non-invasive radiologic procedures NOTE: Stage III lesions may be measurable lymph nodes after incomplete resection and/or inoperable in transit metastases

• HLA-A1 and/or HLA-A2 expression by serologic HLA typing

  • HLA-A2.01 subtype must be confirmed by polymerase chain reaction on genomic DNA obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells

• No active CNS metastases

  • Previously treated CNS metastases (e.g., excision of a single metastasis) allowed if no active disease present by CT scan or MRI

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• Over 18

Performance status

• Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy

• At least 6 months

Hematopoietic

• WBC greater than 2,500/mm^3
• Neutrophil count greater than 1,000/mm^3
• Lymphocyte count greater than 700/mm^3
• Platelet count greater than 75,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin greater than 9 g/dL
• No bleeding disorders

Hepatic

• Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL
• No hepatitis B or C

Renal

• Creatinine less than 2.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular

• No clinically significant heart disease

Pulmonary

• No clinically significant respiratory disease

Immunologic

• No active systemic infection

• No immunodeficiency disease

  • No evidence of HIV-1, HIV-2, or human T-cell lymphocytic virus-1

• No active autoimmune disease including, but not limited to:

  • Lupus erythematosus
  • Autoimmune thyroiditis or uveitis
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Inflammatory bowel disease NOTE: Vitiligo allowed

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 weeks after study participation
• No organic brain syndrome or significant psychiatric abnormality that would preclude study participation and follow-up
• No contraindication to leukapheresis
• No other active malignant neoplasms

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior systemic immunotherapy
• No concurrent immunotherapy during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 4 weeks since prior systemic chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas [e.g., fotemustine])
• No concurrent chemotherapy during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination

Endocrine therapy

• No concurrent corticosteroids during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination

Radiotherapy

• No prior radiotherapy to the spleen
• Concurrent palliative radiotherapy allowed for selected metastases (e.g., pain or local complications such as compression)

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior surgery
• No prior splenectomy
• No prior organ allografts
• Concurrent surgery of selected metastases (e.g., pain or local complications such as compression) allowed

Other

• No other concurrent investigational drugs during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination
• No concurrent paramedical substance during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination
• No concurrent participation or intent to participate in another clinical trial