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

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Histologically or cytologically confirmed melanoma

Stage II-IV disease

Has undergone surgical resection within the past 12 months

No clinical or radiological evidence of disease after surgical resection
Must have ≥ 1 undissected axillary and/or inguinal lymph node basin
HLA-A1, -A2, or -A3 positive
Ineligible for OR refused interferon

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

12 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 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% (for patients with diabetes)
No medical contraindication or potential problem that would preclude study compliance
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

Prior vaccinations that resulted in recurrent disease during or after vaccine administration allowed provided the last vaccination was administered more than 12 weeks ago
Prior multi-epitope melanoma peptide vaccine that resulted in a negative immune response allowed
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 vaccine for at least 2 weeks before or after study vaccine administration

Chemotherapy

More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas [e.g., carmustine or lomustine])
No concurrent chemotherapy, including nitrosoureas

Endocrine therapy

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

Radiotherapy

More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent radiotherapy
Prior stereotactic radiosurgery allowed provided it was completed within the past 12 months

Surgery

See Disease Characteristics
More than 4 weeks since prior surgical resection of metastatic lesion(s)
No concurrent surgery requiring general anesthesia

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
No other concurrent immunosuppressive therapy