DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed stage IV or recurrent melanoma

  • Metastatic disease confirmed by MRI or CT scan
• Planned resection of tumor

• No active CNS metastases

  • Radiographically confirmed lack of CNS disease progression
  • No requirement for pharmacologic doses of corticosteroids

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• Over 16

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• At least 4 months

Hematopoietic:

• Hematocrit greater than 25%
• Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3
• No ongoing transfusion requirements
• No active blood clotting or bleeding diathesis

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• Albumin at least 3.0 g/dL

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

• No underlying cardiac disease associated with known myocardial dysfunction
• No unstable angina related to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Other:

• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except for carcinoma in situ, basal cell carcinoma, or localized squamous cell skin cancer
• No active, eminently life-threatening infection or medical condition
• Adequate venous access
• Not pregnant
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Other prior putative vaccines allowed
• Recovered from prior biologic therapy
• No other concurrent biologic therapy except epoetin alfa for patients with hematocrit less than 36%

Chemotherapy:

• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent endocrine therapy

Radiotherapy:

• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy (including whole brain radiotherapy) and recovered
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from prior surgery

Other:

• Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed for patients with lytic bone metastases
• No concurrent digoxin or other medications designed to improve cardiac output
• No other concurrent investigational therapy