Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed metastatic cutaneous or ocular melanoma that is chemotherapy
naive

- Bidimensionally measurable disease

- No pleural effusions or ascites

- No untreated CNS metastases

- Stable brain metastases by CT or MRI scan

- At least 4 weeks since prior steroid therapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 18 and over

Performance status:

- ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

- At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

- WBC at least 4,000/mm^3

- Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

- SGOT and SGPT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN (unless due to hepatic metastases)

Renal:

- Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL OR

- Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min

Other:

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No active infection

- No known hypersensitivity to E.coli derived proteins

- No other serious medical problems

- No more than 1 primary malignancy within past 5 years, other than:

- Nonmelanomatous skin cancer

- Carcinoma in situ of the cervix

- No history of spinal cord compression

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- Prior biologic therapy allowed (e.g., interleukin-2, interferon alfa, or vaccine
therapy)

Chemotherapy:

- No prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

- See Disease Characteristics

Radiotherapy:

- Prior radiotherapy for primary ocular melanoma, brain metastases, or to metastatic
sites encompassing less than 25% of the bone marrow allowed

- No other prior radiotherapy

Surgery:

- At least 2 weeks since prior surgery and recovered