Dacarbazine With or Without Oblimersen (G3139) in Treating Patients With Advanced Malignant Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed malignant melanoma

  * Progressive disease that is unresectable or metastatic
* No primary ocular or mucosal melanoma
* At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion by physical exam or imaging studies

  * At least 10 mm by caliper for superficial cutaneous disease
  * At least 20 mm by contrast-enhanced or spiral CT scan for visceral or nodal/soft tissue disease
  * No bone metastases as only site of measurable disease
  * Lesions considered non-measurable include the following:

    * Bone lesions
    * Pleural/pericardial effusion
    * Lymphangitis cutis/pulmonis
    * Abdominal masses that are not confirmed and followed by imaging
    * Lesions located in a previously irradiated area
* No brain metastases or leptomeningeal disease
* Considered a medical candidate for dacarbazine treatment

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* Any age

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

* Not specified

Hematopoietic:

* Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin at least 8 g/dL (hematopoietic growth factor or transfusion independent)

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* ALT/AST no greater than 2.5 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN
* Albumin at least 2.5 g/dL
* PT/PTT no greater than 1.5 times ULN
* No history of chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN OR
* Creatinine clearance at least 50 mL/min

Cardiovascular:

* No uncontrolled congestive heart failure
* No New York Heart Association class III or IV disease
* No symptomatic coronary artery disease (e.g., uncontrolled arrhythmias or recurrent chest pain despite prophylactic medication)
* No cardiovascular signs and symptoms at least grade 2 within the past 4 weeks

Other:

* Intellectually, emotionally, and physically able to maintain an ambulatory infusion pump
* Satisfactory venous access
* No other significant medical disease
* No uncontrolled seizure disorder
* No active infection
* No uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
* No active autoimmune disease
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
* No known hypersensitivity to phosphorothioate-containing oligonucleotides or dacarbazine
* No known HIV infection
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy, cytokine, biologic, or vaccine therapy in the adjuvant and/or metastatic setting and recovered
* No concurrent prophylactic growth factors (e.g., filgrastim \[G-CSF\], sargramostim \[GM-CSF\] or epoetin alfa) during course 1 of study

Chemotherapy:

* No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy, including regional perfusion

Endocrine therapy:

* No concurrent chronic corticosteroids with an average dose of at least 20 mg of prednisone or equivalent per day

Radiotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
* No prior radiotherapy to measurable target lesions unless progression occurred at that site or measurable disease developed outside the treated area

Surgery:

* At least 4 weeks since prior surgery and recovered
* No prior organ allografts

Other:

* At least 3 weeks since prior experimental therapy
* No prior intratumoral injection therapy to measurable target lesions unless progression occurred at that site or measurable disease developed outside the treated area
* No concurrent immunosuppressive drugs
* No concurrent anticoagulation therapy except 1 mg/day of warfarin for central line prophylaxis