Vaccine Therapy With or Without Biological Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically proven stage IV melanoma

• Measurable disease

  • At least 1 lesion must be a minimum of 1.0 cm in diameter
  • Bone metastases are not considered to be measurable disease
  • No prior radiotherapy to area of measurable disease unless there is clearly progressive disease in this site or measurable disease exists outside the area of prior radiotherapy
• HLA-A2 positive

• No brain disease by MRI or CT scan within 4 weeks prior to randomization

  • Prior brain disease allowed if no evidence of active disease by 2 successive MRI evaluations completed at least 3 months apart

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• WBC at least 4,000/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3
• Lymphocyte count greater than 700/mm ^3

Hepatic:

• SGOT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin no greater than 2 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase and lactic dehydrogenase no greater than 2 times ULN

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 1.8 mg/dL

Other:

• No significant detectable infection
• HIV negative

• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except:

  • Any carcinoma in situ
  • Lobular carcinoma in situ of the breast
  • Carcinoma in situ of the cervix
  • Atypical melanocytic hyperplasia
  • Melanoma in situ
  • Basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
• No autoimmune disorders or conditions of immunosuppression
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• No prior MART-1:27-35, gp100:209-217 (210M), or tyrosinase:368-376 (370D) peptide
• Greater than 4 weeks since prior adjuvant immunotherapy, including sargramostim (GM-CSF) or interferon alfa-2b

Chemotherapy:

• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)

Endocrine therapy:

• At least 2 weeks since prior and no concurrent systemic corticosteroids, including oral steroids (i.e., prednisone, dexamethasone); continuous use of topical steroid creams or ointments; or any inhalers containing steroids

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy for local control or palliation and recovered

Surgery:

• Recovered from any prior major surgery