Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of ocular melanoma

- No melanoma of the iris

- Disease adequately treated by prior surgery (enucleation or tumorectomy) and/or
radiotherapy

- No more than 5 weeks since the beginning of primary tumor treatment

- Measurable disease

- At least 12.0 mm in largest diameter OR

- At least 6.0 mm in height

- HLA-A2 positive

- No distant metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- Over 18

Performance status:

- ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

- Not specified

Hematopoietic:

- Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL

- Neutrophil count at least 2,000/mm^3

- Lymphocyte count at least 700/mm^3

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

- No bleeding disorder

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

- AST and ALT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Lactate dehydrogenase no greater than 2 times ULN

- Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN

- Gamma glutamyl transpeptidases no greater than 2 times ULN

- Hepatitis C antibody negative

- Hepatitis B antigen negative

Renal:

- Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

Immunologic:

- No clinical immunodeficiency

- No autoimmune diseases

- No inflammatory bowel disease

- No active infection requiring antibiotics

- No multiple sclerosis

Other:

- HIV negative

- No other malignancy except surgically cured carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal
cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin

- No other uncontrolled illness

- No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical conditions that would
preclude study participation

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 3 months
after study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- No other concurrent immunotherapy or biologic therapy

Chemotherapy:

- No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

- At least 3 weeks since prior steroids

- No concurrent chronic therapy with high doses of corticosteroids (e.g.,
methylprednisolone at least 12 mg/day)

- Concurrent topical or inhalation steroids allowed

- No concurrent hormonal therapy

Radiotherapy:

- See Disease Characteristics

- Prior proton beam therapy allowed

- Prior brachytherapy without tumor resection allowed

- Recovered from prior radiotherapy

- No prior radiotherapy to the spleen

- No prior pre-enucleation radiotherapy

- No prior ruthenium Ru 106 as primary therapy alone

- No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

- See Disease Characteristics

- Prior transcleral tumor resection allowed

- Recovered from prior surgery

- No prior major organ allograft

- No prior splenectomy

Other:

- No other concurrent investigational drugs

- No concurrent systemic immunosuppressive drugs