Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed malignant melanoma

- Advanced disease

- Measurable disease by clinical assessment or imaging

- No known standard curative therapy exists

- Disease no longer controlled by surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy

- No clinically detectable pleural effusion or ascites

- No brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

- 18 and over

Performance status

- ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

- Not specified

Hematopoietic

- WBC ≥ 3,500/mm^3 OR

- Granulocyte count ≥ 2,000/mm^3

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin ≥ 10.0 g/dL

Hepatic

- AST and ALT < 2 times normal

- Bilirubin < 2.0 mg/dL

- Hepatitis B surface antigen negative

- No clinical evidence of hepatitis

Renal

- Creatinine < 2.0 mg/dL OR

- Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

Cardiovascular

- No ischemic cardiac disease, congestive heart failure, or myocardial infarction
within the past 6 months

- No uncontrolled cardiac rhythm disturbance

- No myocardial ischemia or heart failure by exercise radionuclide scan for patients
with a history of cardiac disease, significant risk factors for coronary artery
disease, or ≥ 65 years of age

Pulmonary

- Pulmonary function normal by exercise radionuclide scan for patients with a history
of cardiac disease, significant risk factors for coronary artery disease, or ≥ 65
years of age

Immunologic

- HIV negative

- No known hypersensitivity to the study drug, Tween-80®, or human immunoglobulin

- No uncontrolled active infection

Neurologic

- No seizure disorder

- No objective peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2

- No clinically significant neurologic deficit

Other

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- Must consent to the placement of a central venous line OR demonstrate stable
peripheral IV access

- Must be willing and able to discontinue antihypertensive medications (if advised to
do so) on the days of study drug infusion

- No uncontrolled active peptic ulcer

- No known grade 4 side effects related to prior interleukin-2

- No diabetes mellitus that has required systemic therapy (e.g., oral hypoglycemic
agents or insulin) within the past 3 months

- No other significant illness

- No significant psychiatric disability

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

- Prior monoclonal antibodies for biologic therapy, tumor imaging, purging of
autologous bone marrow/stem cells for re-infusion, or for any other reason allowed
provided there is documented absence of detectable antibody to hu14.18 by serology

- No concurrent growth factors

Chemotherapy

- No immediate requirement for palliative chemotherapy

- No concurrent anticancer chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

- More than 2 weeks since prior and no concurrent corticosteroids (e.g., dexamethasone)

- No immediate requirement for palliative hormonal therapy

Radiotherapy

- No immediate requirement for palliative radiotherapy

- Concurrent palliative radiotherapy to localized painful lesions allowed provided
≥ 1 measurable or evaluable lesion is not irradiated AND the irradiated lesion
is not used to assess tumor response

Surgery

- More than 3 weeks since prior major surgery

- No prior organ allografts

Other

- More than 2 weeks since other prior and no concurrent immunosuppressive drugs

- No prior standard or experimental systemic therapy for stage IV melanoma

- No concurrent myelosuppressive antineoplastic drugs