Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed locoregional or metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma

  * Stage III or IV disease

    * Stage III: pT4b, N0, M0 (satellite metastases) or any pT, N1 or pT, N1 or N2a-c, M0 (lymph node metastases or in transit intralymphatic metastases)
    * Stage IV: any pT, N1-2, M1a-b
    * Surgically incurable
    * Incurable with standard treatment (i.e., localized chemotherapy/limb perfusion for stage III, systemic chemotherapy for stage IV)
* Unidimensionally or bidimensionally measurable disease by physical examination (e.g., cutaneous metastases) and/or non-invasive radiologic procedures NOTE: Stage III lesions may be measurable lymph nodes after incomplete resection and/or inoperable in transit metastases
* HLA-A1 and/or HLA-A2 expression by serologic HLA typing

  * HLA-A2.01 subtype must be confirmed by polymerase chain reaction on genomic DNA obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells
* No active CNS metastases

  * Previously treated CNS metastases (e.g., excision of a single metastasis) allowed if no active disease present by CT scan or MRI

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* Over 18

Performance status

* Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy

* At least 6 months

Hematopoietic

* WBC greater than 2,500/mm\^3
* Neutrophil count greater than 1,000/mm\^3
* Lymphocyte count greater than 700/mm\^3
* Platelet count greater than 75,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin greater than 9 g/dL
* No bleeding disorders

Hepatic

* Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL
* No hepatitis B or C

Renal

* Creatinine less than 2.5 mg/dL

Cardiovascular

* No clinically significant heart disease

Pulmonary

* No clinically significant respiratory disease

Immunologic

* No active systemic infection
* No immunodeficiency disease

  * No evidence of HIV-1, HIV-2, or human T-cell lymphocytic virus-1
* No active autoimmune disease including, but not limited to:

  * Lupus erythematosus
  * Autoimmune thyroiditis or uveitis
  * Multiple sclerosis
  * Inflammatory bowel disease NOTE: Vitiligo allowed

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 weeks after study participation
* No organic brain syndrome or significant psychiatric abnormality that would preclude study participation and follow-up
* No contraindication to leukapheresis
* No other active malignant neoplasms

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* More than 4 weeks since prior systemic immunotherapy
* No concurrent immunotherapy during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination

Chemotherapy

* See Disease Characteristics
* More than 4 weeks since prior systemic chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas \[e.g., fotemustine\])
* No concurrent chemotherapy during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination

Endocrine therapy

* No concurrent corticosteroids during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination

Radiotherapy

* No prior radiotherapy to the spleen
* Concurrent palliative radiotherapy allowed for selected metastases (e.g., pain or local complications such as compression)

Surgery

* See Disease Characteristics
* Recovered from prior surgery
* No prior splenectomy
* No prior organ allografts
* Concurrent surgery of selected metastases (e.g., pain or local complications such as compression) allowed

Other

* No other concurrent investigational drugs during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination
* No concurrent paramedical substance during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination
* No concurrent participation or intent to participate in another clinical trial