Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed metastatic melanoma that has failed standard treatment
* No ocular or mucosal melanoma as primary site
* Measurable disease
* No existing brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 16 and over

Performance status:

* ECOG 0 or 1

Life expectancy:

* More than 3 months

Hematopoietic:

* WBC at least 3,000/mm3
* Platelet count at least 90,000/mm3
* No coagulation disorder

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.6 mg/dL
* AST/ALT less than 3 times normal
* Hepatitis B surface antigen negative

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 1.6 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

* No major cardiovascular illness

Pulmonary:

* No major respiratory illness

Immunologic:

* HIV negative
* No autoimmune disease
* No primary or secondary immunodeficiency
* No allergy to eggs
* No history of allergy or untoward reaction to prior smallpox vaccination

Other:

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* Must be able to avoid close contact with children under 5 years, pregnant women, people with active or a past history of eczema or other eczematoid skin disorders, and immunosuppressed people for at least 2 weeks after each vaccinia virus vaccination
* No active systemic infections
* No active atopic dermatitis or active or past history of eczema
* No concurrent active extensive psoriasis, severe acneiform rash, impetigo, varicella zoster, burns, or other traumatic or pruritic skin conditions or open wounds
* Surgical scars must be healed
* Healed surgical stomas (e.g., colostomy) allowed

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* No prior recombinant vaccinia or fowlpox vaccines for melanoma
* At least 3 weeks since prior systemic biologic therapy for melanoma

Chemotherapy:

* At least 3 weeks since prior systemic chemotherapy for melanoma

Endocrine therapy:

* At least 3 weeks since prior systemic endocrine therapy for melanoma
* No concurrent steroid therapy

Radiotherapy:

* At least 3 weeks since prior systemic radiotherapy for melanoma

Surgery:

* Prior surgery allowed