Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

Inclusion Criteria:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed melanoma

  * Stage IV disease
* Measurable disease

  * At least 1 cutaneous or lymph node mass ≥ 1 cm AND amenable to biopsy and percutaneous injection AND can be accurately measured with standard calipers
* Must be tested for expression of HLA-A2 prior to study
* Must have 1 of the following criteria:

  * Circulating melanoma-specific CD8-positive T cells against ≥ 1 defined antigen (Melan-A, gp100 antigen, tyrosinase, MAGE-A10, Trp-2, or NA17) as measured by tetramer or ELISpot directly ex-vivo or after a 10 day in vitro expansion
  * Detectable intratumoral T cells measured in the index lesion that is to be injected with rF-TRICOMTM by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for CD4, CD8 or another T cell marker, or by real time RT-PCR for CD8a, CD4, or other T cell transcripts
* No untreated or edematous brain metastases or leptomeningeal disease

  * Treated CNS disease allowed provided patient remains stable off corticosteroid therapy
* Performance status - Karnofsky 70-100%
* More than 12 weeks
* WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* No uncontrolled bleeding disorder that would increase the risk of bleeding from the injected lesion
* No active thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura within the past 2 years
* PT/PTT ≤ 1.25 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST and ALT ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* No chronic hepatitis B or C
* Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
* Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
* No symptomatic congestive heart failure
* No unstable angina pectoris
* No cardiac arrhythmia
* HIV negative
* No prior significant allergic reaction or hypersensitivity to eggs or egg products
* No disease that limits the function of the spleen (e.g., sickle cell disease)
* No uncontrolled active or chronic infection
* No active autoimmune disorders or disease
* No immunosuppression, defined as concurrent or possible requirement for systemic corticosteroids
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 4 weeks after study participation
* Able to avoid direct contact of the immunization site with the following individuals:

  * Children \< 3 years of age
  * Immunocompromised individuals (including those on systemic corticosteroids)
  * Pregnant women
  * Individuals with extensive skin disease
* No active seizure disorder
* No skin disease and/or open unhealing wounds
* No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
* No other significant medical illness that would significantly increase the risk associated with immunotherapy
* No other active malignancy requiring concurrent therapy except squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer or undetectable hormone-responsive prostate cancer (as measured by normal prostate-specific antigen)
* No other concurrent uncontrolled illness that would preclude study participation
* No prior fowlpox virus-based therapy
* No prior B7-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), or leukocyte function-associated antigen-3 (LFA-3)
* More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
* See Disease Characteristics
* Concurrent adjuvant hormonal therapy for early-stage or high-risk breast cancer allowed
* No concurrent corticosteroids
* More than 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
* More than 2 weeks since prior surgery and recovered
* No prior splenectomy
* No concurrent therapeutic anticoagulation therapy that would increase the risk of bleeding from injected lesion
* No other concurrent immunosuppressive drugs
* No other concurrent investigational agents
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy