Monoclonal Antibody Therapy and Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Resected Stage III or Stage IV Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed melanoma
• Stage III (≥ 3 positive lymph nodes) or stage IV disease
• Mucosal or ocular melanoma allowed
• Completely resected within the past 6 months
• Patients with stage III resected melanoma rendered free of disease may have failed, been ineligible for, or refused prior treatment with interferon alfa
• Positive staining of tumor tissue for at least one of the following:
• Antibody HMB-45 for gp100
• Antibody HMB-45 for tyrosinase
• Antibody HMB-45 for MART-1
• HLA-A*0201 positive by DNA allele-specific polymerase chain reaction assay

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• At least 6 months

Hematopoietic

• WBC ≥ 2,500/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hematocrit ≥ 30%
• Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL

Hepatic

• AST ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)*
• Bilirubin ≤ ULN* (< 3.0 mg/dL for patients with Gilbert's syndrome)
• No significant hepatic disease that would preclude study participation
• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• Hepatitis C antibody negative NOTE: * Unless attributable to disease

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• No significant renal disease that would preclude study participation

Cardiovascular

• No significant cardiac disease that would preclude study participation

Pulmonary

• No significant pulmonary disease that would preclude study participation

Immunologic

• No history of any of the following:
• Inflammatory bowel disease or any other autoimmune bowel disease
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Autoimmune ocular disease
• No systemic hypersensitivity to Montanide ISA-51 or any vaccine component
• No active infection requiring therapy
• HIV negative

Other

• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, superficial bladder cancer, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No significant gastrointestinal disease that would preclude study participation
• No significant psychiatric disease that would preclude study participation
• No other medical condition that would preclude study participation
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 4 months after study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 monoclonal antibody (MDX-010)
• No prior gp100 antigen, MART-1 antigen, or tyrosinase peptide
• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy for melanoma and recovered
• No other concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy for melanoma (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered
• No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior hormonal therapy for melanoma and recovered
• At least 4 weeks since prior systemic, inhaled, or topical corticosteroids
• No concurrent systemic, inhaled, or topical corticosteroids

Radiotherapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy for melanoma and recovered

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior surgery for melanoma and recovered

Other

• No concurrent immunosuppressive agents (e.g., cyclosporine and its analog)
• Concurrent analgesic therapy allowed provided the dose is stable for the past 14 days