DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of metastatic melanoma

  • Solitary pulmonary nodule may not be sole site of metastatic disease
  • No disease limited to subcutaneous, cutaneous, or peripheral nodal (neck, axillary, groin, or iliac nodes) sites only
• Measurable disease
• Disease progression during or after prior interleukin-2 (IL-2)-based therapy OR ineligible for high-dose IL-2 therapy

• Metastatic disease amenable to complete surgical resection

  • Less than 5% estimated mortality from surgery
  • Prior complete metastasectomy allowed provided disease did not recur within 6 months after surgery
• No primary ocular or mucosal melanoma
• No brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 16 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy

• More than 3 months

Hematopoietic

• WBC at least 3,000/mm^3 OR
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3
• No coagulation disorder

Hepatic

• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• Hepatitis C antibody negative

Renal

• Creatinine no greater than 1.6 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 70 mL/min
• No major medical illness of the renal system

Cardiovascular

• No major medical illness of the cardiovascular system

Pulmonary

• No major medical illness of the respiratory system

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• HIV negative
• No active systemic infection
• No form of primary or secondary immunodeficiency

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• See Disease Characteristics

Chemotherapy

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• No concurrent palliative radiotherapy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent palliative surgery

Other

• More than 3 weeks since prior therapy for melanoma (except surgery)
• No other concurrent therapy for melanoma