Cyclophosphamide and Fludarabine Followed By an Autologous Lymphocyte Infusion and Interleukin-2 in Treating Patients With Refractory or Recurrent Metastatic Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Diagnosis of melanoma

  * Metastatic disease
* Measurable disease
* HLA-A2 negative disease
* Disease did not respond to OR recurred after completion of prior high-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2)
* Eligible to receive high-dose IL-2
* No tumor reactive cells available for cell transfer therapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Performance status

* ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

* At least 3 months

Hematopoietic

* Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin \> 8.0 g/dL
* No coagulation disorders

Hepatic

* ALT and AST \< 3 times upper limit of normal
* Bilirubin ≤ 2.0 mg/dL (\< 3.0 mg/dL if due to Gilbert's syndrome)
* Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
* Hepatitis C antigen negative

Renal

* Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
* No renal failure requiring dialysis due to toxic effects of prior IL-2 administration

Cardiovascular

* No myocardial infarction
* No cardiac arrhythmias
* No other major cardiovascular illness as evidenced by a positive stress thallium or comparable test
* Normal cardiac stress test (e.g., stress thallium, stress MUGA, dobutamine echocardiogram) AND LVEF ≥ 45% (for patients ≥ 50 years of age or who have a history of EKG abnormalities, symptoms of cardiac ischemia, or arrhythmias)

Pulmonary

* No obstructive or restrictive pulmonary disease
* No other major respiratory illness
* FEV\_1 ≥ 60% of predicted (for patients with a prolonged history of cigarette smoking or symptoms of respiratory dysfunction)

Immunologic

* HIV negative
* Epstein-Barr virus positive
* No active systemic infection
* No autoimmune disease (e.g., autoimmune colitis or Crohn's disease)
* No immunodeficiency due to prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy

  * Recovered immune competence after prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy as evidenced by normal lymphocyte count and WBC and an absence of opportunistic infection
* No other major immune system disease

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 months after completion of study treatment
* No other toxic effects during prior IL-2 administration that would preclude redosing with IL-2, including the following:

  * Mental status changes that would require intubation
  * Bowel perforation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 4 weeks since prior systemic therapy

Chemotherapy

* At least 6 weeks since prior nitrosoureas
* At least 4 weeks since prior systemic therapy

Endocrine therapy

* No concurrent systemic steroid therapy

Radiotherapy

* Not specified

Surgery

* Not specified