Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Interleukin-2 and Interferon Alfa in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed surgically incurable metastatic malignant melanoma * Measurable disease * No active brain metastases or edema * No leptomeningeal disease * No ocular melanoma PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and over Performance status: * ECOG 0-1 Life expectancy: * Not specified Hematopoietic: * Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL Hepatic: * Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL * SGOT less than 3 times the upper limit of normal unless due to liver metastases Renal: * Creatinine less than 1.5 mg/dL OR * Creatinine clearance at least 75 mL/min Cardiovascular: * No congestive heart failure * No symptoms of coronary artery disease * No serious cardiac arrhythmias * No prior myocardial infarction on EKG * Normal cardiac stress test required for the following: * Over 50 years of age * Abnormal EKG * Prior history of cardiac disease Pulmonary: * No symptomatic pulmonary disease * FEV1 greater than 2.0 L OR at least 75% predicted if over 50 years of age or with history of pulmonary symptoms Other: * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No significant infection * HIV negative * No other prior malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No organ allografts * No significant disease other than malignancy * No seizure disorder PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * No prior interleukin-2 therapy for metastatic disease * At least 4 weeks since prior vaccine therapy * At least 4 weeks since prior adjuvant immunotherapy Chemotherapy: * No prior chemotherapy for disease Endocrine therapy: * No concurrent corticosteroids Radiotherapy: * No prior radiation therapy to measurable disease site unless disease is clearly progressive * At least 4 weeks since prior radiation therapy for local control or palliation and recovered Surgery: * Recovered from prior surgery Other: * No prior systemic therapy for metastatic disease * At least 3 months since definitive therapy for brain metastases