Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed stage III or IV cutaneous malignant melanoma HLA-A1 and/or HLA-A2 expression by serologic HLA typing HLA-A2.1 subtype must be confirmed by polymerase chain reaction on genomic DNA obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells No active CNS metastases by CT scan or MRI PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age Over 18 Performance status Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy At least 4 months Hematopoietic WBC greater than 2,500/mm^3 Neutrophil count greater than 1,000/mm^3 Lymphocyte count greater than 700/mm^3 Platelet count greater than 75,000/mm^3 Hemoglobin greater than 9 g/dL No bleeding disorders Hepatic Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL Hepatitis B surface antigen negative Hepatitis C antibody negative Renal Creatinine less than 2.5 mg/dL Cardiovascular No clinically significant heart disease Pulmonary No clinically significant respiratory disease Immunologic No active systemic infection No immunodeficiency disease No evidence of HIV-1, HIV-2, or human T-cell lymphotropic virus-1 No active autoimmune disease including (but not limited to): Lupus erythematosus Autoimmune thyroiditis or uveitis Multiple sclerosis Inflammatory bowel disease Other Stable medical condition Not pregnant or nursing Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 1 month after study participation No organic brain syndrome or psychiatric illness that would preclude study compliance No other concurrent active malignancy No other concurrent serious illness that would preclude study treatment No contraindication to leukapheresis PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy No other concurrent immunotherapy Chemotherapy More than 4 weeks since prior systemic chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) No concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy No concurrent corticosteroids Radiotherapy More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy No prior radiotherapy to the spleen Concurrent palliative radiotherapy allowed Surgery Recovered from prior surgery No prior splenectomy No prior organ allograft Concurrent surgery on selected metastases (e.g., because of pain or local complications such as compression) allowed Other No other concurrent investigational drugs No concurrent participation in another clinical trial