Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically proven completely resected melanoma including one of the following:

- Any locoregional recurrence after prior adjuvant interferon or failure on
SWOG-0008

- Any local recurrence after adequate surgical excision of the original primary

- Mucosal melanoma

- Stage IV disease including:

- Cutaneous melanoma

- Ocular melanoma

- Mucosal melanoma

- Multiple primary lesions allowed

- If ineligible for SWOG-0008 or are determined by managing physician to be medically
unfit to receive standard high-dose interferon, patients with one of the following
may be eligible:

- Any clinically evident satellite or intransit disease

- Stage III disease with gross extracapsular extension

- Recurrence in previously resected nodal basin

- Four or more involved lymph nodes or matted lymph nodes

- Ulcerated primary melanoma and any involved lymph nodes

- Known HLA-A2 status

- Rendered free of disease with negative margins by surgical means only

- Ineligible if rendered free of disease by nonsurgical means

- Must be randomized within 16 weeks of surgical resection

- If more than one surgical procedure is required to render the patient disease
free, all required surgeries must be completed within this 16-week time period

- Patients with bone pain must have a negative bone scan

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 18 and over

Performance status:

- ECOG 0 or 1

Life expectancy:

- Not specified

Hematopoietic:

- WBC at least 3,000/mm^3

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

Hepatic:

- SGOT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Bilirubin no greater than 2 times ULN

- LDH normal

- Alkaline phosphatase no greater than ULN (1.25 times ULN if negative CT scan or MRI
of liver and negative bone scan or negative PET scan)

Renal:

- Creatinine no greater than 1.8 mg/dL

Other:

- No active infection requiring treatment with IV antibiotics

- No other significant medical, surgical, or psychiatric condition or requirement for
medication or treatment that would preclude study compliance

- No diagnosis or evidence of organic brain syndrome or significant impairment of basal
cognitive function that would preclude study compliance

- Able to self administer or arrange for administration of subcutaneous injections

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except any of the following curatively
treated cancers:

- Lobular carcinoma in situ of the breast

- Carcinoma in situ of the cervix

- Any other in situ cancer

- Atypical melanocytic hyperplasia

- Clark's level I melanoma (melanoma in situ)

- Basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer

- No autoimmune disorder

- No condition of immunosuppression

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 18 months after
study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- See Disease Characteristics

- No prior sargramostim (GM-CSF)

- No prior MART-1:27-35 peptide, tyrosinase:368-376, or gp100:209-217 (210M) antigen

- No prior adjuvant biologic therapy after resection(s) that rendered the patient
disease-free with negative margins

- One prior systemic regimen after prior surgery allowed if completed at least 8 weeks
ago

- Chemotherapy and biologic therapy administered together as one planned treatment
count as one regimen

Chemotherapy:

- See Biologic therapy

- No prior adjuvant chemotherapy after resection(s) that rendered the patient
disease-free with negative margins

Endocrine therapy:

- At least 2 weeks since prior systemic corticosteroids, including oral steroids (e.g.,
prednisone or dexamethasone)

- At least 2 weeks since prior continuous use of topical steroid creams or ointments or
any steroid-containing inhalers

- Concurrent replacement doses of steroids for adrenal insufficiency allowed

- No concurrent systemic corticosteroids, including oral steroids (e.g., prednisone or
dexamethasone)

- No concurrent continuous use of topical steroid creams or ointments or any
steroid-containing inhalers

Radiotherapy:

- At least 30 days since prior radiotherapy, including after the resection

Surgery:

- See Disease Characteristics

- See Biologic therapy

- See Chemotherapy

- See Radiotherapy

Other:

- No prior adjuvant limb perfusion after resection(s) that rendered the patient
disease-free with negative margins

- No concurrent IV antibiotics