Monoclonal Antibody Therapy and Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Resected Stage III or Stage IV Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed melanoma

  * Stage III (≥ 3 positive lymph nodes) or stage IV disease
  * Mucosal or ocular melanoma allowed
* Completely resected within the past 6 months
* Patients with stage III resected melanoma rendered free of disease may have failed, been ineligible for, or refused prior treatment with interferon alfa
* Positive staining of tumor tissue for at least one of the following:

  * Antibody HMB-45 for gp100
  * Antibody HMB-45 for tyrosinase
  * Antibody HMB-45 for MART-1
* HLA-A\*0201 positive by DNA allele-specific polymerase chain reaction assay

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

* At least 6 months

Hematopoietic

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

Hepatic

* AST ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)\*
* Bilirubin ≤ ULN\* (\< 3.0 mg/dL for patients with Gilbert's syndrome)
* No significant hepatic disease that would preclude study participation
* Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
* Hepatitis C antibody negative NOTE: \* Unless attributable to disease

Renal

* Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
* No significant renal disease that would preclude study participation

Cardiovascular

* No significant cardiac disease that would preclude study participation

Pulmonary

* No significant pulmonary disease that would preclude study participation

Immunologic

* No history of any of the following:

  * Inflammatory bowel disease or any other autoimmune bowel disease
  * Systemic lupus erythematosus
  * Rheumatoid arthritis
  * Autoimmune ocular disease
* No systemic hypersensitivity to Montanide ISA-51 or any vaccine component
* No active infection requiring therapy
* HIV negative

Other

* 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 significant gastrointestinal disease that would preclude study participation
* No significant psychiatric disease that would preclude study participation
* No other medical condition that would preclude study participation
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 4 months after study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* See Disease Characteristics
* No prior anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 monoclonal antibody (MDX-010)
* No prior gp100 antigen, MART-1 antigen, or tyrosinase peptide
* At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy for melanoma and recovered
* No other concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

* At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy for melanoma (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered
* No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

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

Radiotherapy

* At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy for melanoma and recovered

Surgery

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 4 weeks since prior surgery for melanoma and recovered

Other

* No concurrent immunosuppressive agents (e.g., cyclosporine and its analog)
* Concurrent analgesic therapy allowed provided the dose is stable for the past 14 days