Monoclonal Antibody Therapy and Interleukin-2 in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed stage IV melanoma

  * Mucosal or ocular melanoma also eligible
* Clinically evaluable disease

  * At least 1 site of measurable disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 16 and over

Performance status

* ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

* At least 3 months

Hematopoietic

* WBC at least 2,500/mm\^3
* Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL
* Hematocrit at least 30%

Hepatic

* Bilirubin no greater than upper limit of normal (ULN)\* (less than 3.0 mg/dL in patients with Gilbert's syndrome)
* AST no greater than 3 times ULN\*
* Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
* Hepatitis C antibody nonreactive
* No evidence or history of significant hepatic disease that would preclude safe administration of high-dose IL-2 NOTE: \*Unless attributable to disease

Renal

* Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
* No evidence or history of significant renal disease that would preclude safe administration of high-dose IL-2

Cardiovascular

* No evidence or history of significant cardiac disease that would preclude safe administration of high-dose IL-2
* Thallium stress test normal (for patients over 50 years of age or with a history of cardiovascular disease)

Pulmonary

* No evidence or history of significant pulmonary disease that would preclude safe administration of high-dose IL-2

Immunologic

* HIV negative
* No autoimmune disease (including uveitis and autoimmune inflammatory eye disease)
* No active infection

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, superficial bladder cancer, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
* No evidence or history of significant gastrointestinal disease that would preclude safe administration of high-dose IL-2
* No evidence or history of psychiatric disease that would preclude safe administration of high-dose IL-2
* No other underlying medical condition that would make the administration of the study drug hazardous or obscure the interpretation of adverse events
* No other concurrent medical condition that would preclude study entry

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* At least 3 weeks since prior immunotherapy for melanoma and recovered
* No prior anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 monoclonal antibody (MDX-CTLA4)
* No prior high-dose (at least 600,000 IU/kg every 8 hours) interleukin-2 (IL-2)

Chemotherapy

* At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy for melanoma and recovered
* No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

* At least 3 weeks since prior hormonal therapy for melanoma and recovered
* At least 4 weeks since prior corticosteroids
* No concurrent systemic or topical corticosteroids

Radiotherapy

* At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy for melanoma and recovered

Surgery

* Not specified

Other

* No concurrent immunosuppressive agents (e.g., cyclosporine or its analog)