Vaccine Therapy With or Without Cyclophosphamide in Treating Patients Who Have Undergone Surgery for Stage II, Stage III, or Stage IV Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically or cytologically confirmed melanoma

Cutaneous, mucosal, or primary melanoma
Stage IIB-IV disease

Has undergone surgical resection or stereotactic radiosurgery for malignant melanoma ≥ 1 week but ≤ 6 months ago

No clinical or radiological evidence of disease after surgical resection or stereotactic radiosurgery by chest x-ray or CT scan*, abdominal and pelvic CT scan*, and head CT scan or MRI NOTE: *Positron emission tomography scan/CT fusion scan may replace scans of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis
Must have ≥ 2 intact (undissected) axillary and/or inguinal lymph node basins
HLA-A1, -A2, or -A3 positive AND HLA-DR1, -DR4, -DR11, -DR13, or -DR15 positive
Ineligible for OR refused interferon
No ocular melanoma

Brain metastases allowed provided all of the following criteria are met:

No more than 3 total brain metastases
Each metastasis ≤ 2 cm in diameter at the time of study entry
Each metastasis was completely removed by surgery or treated with stereotactic radiosurgery
No evidence of brain metastasis progression since the most recent treatment

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

18 and over

Performance status

ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

Not specified

Hematopoietic

Absolute neutrophil count > 1,000/mm^3
Platelet count > 100,000/mm^3
Hemoglobin > 9 g/dL

Hepatic

AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
Bilirubin ≤ 2.5 times ULN
Lactic dehydrogenase ≤ 1.5 times ULN
Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
Hepatitis C negative

Renal

Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular

No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

Immunologic

HIV negative
No known or suspected allergy to any component of the study vaccines
No autoimmune disorder with visceral involvement
No prior or active autoimmune disorder requiring cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy

The following immunologic conditions are allowed:

Laboratory evidence of autoimmune disease (e.g., positive anti-nuclear antibody titer) without symptoms
Clinical evidence of vitiligo
Other forms of depigmenting illness
Mild arthritis requiring non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Other

Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception
Weight ≥ 110 lbs

No uncontrolled diabetes

Hemoglobin A1C < 7%
No medical contraindication or potential problem that would preclude study compliance
No other malignancy except squamous cell or basal cell skin cancer without known metastasis, carcinoma in situ of the breast (ductal or lobular) or cervix, or other successfully treated cancer without distant metastasis with no evidence of recurrence or metastasis for > 5 years
No known active addiction to alcohol or drugs
No recent (within the past year) or ongoing illicit IV drug use

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

No prior vaccination with any of the synthetic peptides used in this study

Prior vaccinations (containing agents other than the synthetic peptides used in this study) that resulted in recurrent disease during or after vaccine administration allowed provided the last vaccination was administered more than 12 weeks ago
More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent interferon (e.g., Intron-A®), interleukins (e.g., Proleukin®), or growth factors (e.g., Procrit®, Aranesp®, or Neulasta®)
More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent allergy desensitization injections
No influenza vaccines for at least 2 weeks before or after study vaccine administration

Chemotherapy

More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas)
No concurrent chemotherapy, including nitrosoureas

Endocrine therapy

More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent oral or parenteral corticosteroids
No prior or concurrent inhaled steroids (e.g., Advair®, Flovent®, or Azmacort®)
Prior or concurrent topical corticosteroids allowed

Radiotherapy

See Disease Characteristics
More than 4 weeks since other prior and no concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

See Disease Characteristics

Other

More than 4 weeks since prior and no other concurrent investigational agents
More than 30 days since prior and no concurrent participation in another clinical study