Cyclophosphamide, Fludarabine, and Total-Body Irradiation Followed By Cellular Adoptive Immunotherapy, Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation, and Interleukin-2 in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Diagnosis of metastatic melanoma
Measurable disease
Resected or stable brain metastases are allowed

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

18 and over

Performance status

Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-1

Life expectancy

At least 3 months

Hematopoietic

See Immunologic
Absolute neutrophil count > 1,000/mm^3 (without support of filgrastim [G-CSF])
Platelet count > 100,000/mm^3
Hemoglobin ≥ 8 g/dL (transfusion allowed)
No coagulation disorders

Hepatic

Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) < 3 times upper limit of normal
Bilirubin ≤ 2 mg/dL (< 3 mg/dL in patients with Gilbert's syndrome)
No hepatitis B or C

Renal

Creatinine ≤ 1.6 mg/dL

Cardiovascular

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 45% by cardiac stress test*
No active major cardiovascular illness as evidenced by stress thallium or other comparable test
No myocardial infarction
No cardiac arrhythmias NOTE: *For patients ≥ 50 years of age receiving high-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) OR patients with a history of electrocardiogram (EKG) abnormalities, symptoms of cardiac ischemia, or arrhythmias

Pulmonary

Forced expiratory volume 1 (FEV_1) ≥ 60% of predicted by pulmonary function test in patients with prolonged history of cigarette smoking or symptoms of respiratory dysfunction*
No active major respiratory illness
No obstructive or restrictive pulmonary disease NOTE: *For patients receiving high-dose IL-2 only

Immunologic

No active major immunologic illness
No active systemic infections

No primary or secondary immunodeficiency

Fully recovered immune competence after prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy as evidenced by both of the following:

Absolute neutrophil count > 1,000/mm^3
No opportunistic infections
Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) negative
Epstein-Barr virus positive

Other

Not pregnant or nursing
Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 months after study treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

See Disease Characteristics

Chemotherapy

At least 6 weeks since prior nitrosourea therapy
No prior cyclophosphamide and fludarabine as part of a preparative regimen on National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surgery Branch adoptive cell therapy studies unless sufficient numbers of CD34+ stem cells (more than 2 x10^6/kg patient weight) have been obtained prior to the administration of chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

No concurrent systemic steroid therapy

Radiotherapy

Not specified

Surgery

See Disease Characteristics
Prior minor surgery within the past 3 weeks allowed if recovered

Other

Recovered from all prior therapy
At least 30 days since prior systemic therapy
No other concurrent experimental agents