Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of melanoma

- Unresectable stage III or IV disease

- Mucosal or ocular disease allowed

- Positive HLA-A1, -A2, or -A3 expression

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 12 and over

Performance status

- ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- Absolute neutrophil count > 1,000/mm^3

- Platelet count > 100,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin > 9 g/dL

Hepatic

- Liver function tests ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

Renal

- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular

- No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

Other

- Weight ≥ 100 pounds

- Not pregnant or nursing

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except squamous cell or basal cell skin
cancer without known metastasis, carcinoma in situ of the breast, or carcinoma in
situ of the cervix

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- No prior vaccination with any of the peptides used in this protocol

- More than 1 year since prior melanoma vaccine therapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior growth factors

- More than 4 weeks since prior allergy shots

Chemotherapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior steroid therapy

Radiotherapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

Surgery

- Prior tumor resection allowed