Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IV or Recurrent Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically confirmed stage IV or recurrent melanoma

Metastatic disease confirmed by MRI or CT scan
Planned resection of tumor

No active CNS metastases

Radiographically confirmed lack of CNS disease progression
No requirement for pharmacologic doses of corticosteroids

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

Over 16

Performance status:

ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

At least 4 months

Hematopoietic:

Hematocrit greater than 25%
Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3
No ongoing transfusion requirements
No active blood clotting or bleeding diathesis

Hepatic:

Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
Albumin at least 3.0 g/dL

Renal:

Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

No underlying cardiac disease associated with known myocardial dysfunction
No unstable angina related to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Other:

No other malignancy within the past 5 years except for carcinoma in situ, basal cell carcinoma, or localized squamous cell skin cancer
No active, eminently life-threatening infection or medical condition
Adequate venous access
Not pregnant
Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

Other prior putative vaccines allowed
Recovered from prior biologic therapy
No other concurrent biologic therapy except epoetin alfa for patients with hematocrit less than 36%

Chemotherapy:

At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered
No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

See Disease Characteristics
No concurrent endocrine therapy

Radiotherapy:

At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy (including whole brain radiotherapy) and recovered
No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

See Disease Characteristics
Recovered from prior surgery

Other:

Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed for patients with lytic bone metastases
No concurrent digoxin or other medications designed to improve cardiac output
No other concurrent investigational therapy