Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed malignant melanoma

- Metastatic (M1a, M1b, or M1c) disease

- Measurable disease by clinical exam, x-ray, CT scan, or MRI

- Must have documented disease progression at 2 time points separated by ≥ 6 months

- Pre-existing visceral lesions or the appearance of new visceral lesions allowed

- New skin disease amenable to surgery not allowed

- No primary brain tumors or brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

- More than 3 months

Hematopoietic

- WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

- Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3

- Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL

Hepatic

- Bilirubin normal

- ALT and AST ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal

- No chronic liver disease

- No known hepatitis B or C positivity

Renal

- Creatinine < 130 mmol/L OR

- Creatinine clearance > 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

- No symptomatic congestive heart failure

- No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

- No unstable angina pectoris

- No cardiac arrhythmia

- No transient ischemic attack

- No stroke or peripheral vascular disease

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception for 4 weeks before, during, and for
6 months after study participation

- No ongoing or active infection

- No diabetes mellitus with evidence of severe peripheral vascular disease or ulcers

- No history of allergy to eggs

- No known HIV positivity

- No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance

- No other uncontrolled illness

- No other malignancy except adequately treated cone-biopsied carcinoma in situ of the
cervix or basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy

Chemotherapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)

Endocrine therapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior endocrine therapy

- Concurrent steroids allowed provided they are given at the lowest possible
maintenance dose

Radiotherapy

- More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy unless administered for palliative care

- Concurrent radiotherapy allowed provided it is administered as a single fraction for
bone pain OR as indicated for palliative care

Surgery

- Not specified

Other

- Recovered from all prior therapy

- Alopecia allowed

- No concurrent therapeutic anticoagulation with warfarin

- Concurrent prophylactic warfarin for central line maintenance allowed provided
INR is checked regularly until stable

- Concurrent low-molecular weight heparin allowed

- No other concurrent anticancer therapy

- No other concurrent investigational drugs