Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Pathologically confirmed stage III or IVA (M1a) melanoma

- Recurrent and inoperable disease

- Any tumor thickness and any number of lymph nodes involved

- Asymptomatic cutaneous and nodal disease allowed

- Asymptomatic pulmonary metastatic disease (stage IVB, M1b) allowed

- No advanced symptomatic visceral disease, including any symptomatic visceral organ
involvement, or disease associated with increased serum lactic dehydrogenase > 2.5
times upper limit of normal (stage IVC, M1c)

- Standard curative or palliative measures do not exist or are no longer effective

- Sufficient numbers of monocytes (≥ 20 x 10^6) must be obtained for the preparation of
the vaccine

- If an insufficient number of cells is obtained on first venipuncture, a second
venipuncture may be performed (not exceeding 550 mL of blood within 8 weeks)

- No brain metastases by contrast-enhanced CT scan or MRI

- Prior brain metastases allowed provided they were successfully treated and
patient has been asymptomatic for ≥ 3 months

- HLA-A2 positive

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG performance status 0-1

- Life expectancy ≥ 6 months

- Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm³

- Lymphocyte count ≥ 500/mm³

- Platelet count > 70,000/mm³ (for venipuncture/pheresis procedure)

- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN

- Gamma-glutamyl transferase ≤ 2.5 times ULN

- Lactic dehydrogenase ≤ 2.5 times ULN

- Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN

- No active infection

- No sensitivity to drugs that provide local anesthesia

- No pain uncontrolled by oral analgesics, including opiates and opiate analogs

- No active autoimmune disease

- No HIV, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C positivity

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- Negative pregnancy test

- No other malignancy except for nonmelanoma skin cancers or carcinoma in situ of the
cervix, or other malignancy for which the patient has been continuously disease-free
for ≥ 2 years

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- Recovered from prior surgery

- No radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy within the past 4 weeks (6 weeks for
nitrosoureas or mitomycin C)

- No antibiotics within the past 7 days

- No systemic immunosuppressive agents, including steroids, within the past 4 weeks

- Concurrent maintenance steroids for adrenal insufficiency allowed

- No other concurrent anticancer investigational or commercial agents or therapies