Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed stage III or IV cutaneous malignant melanoma * HLA-A1 and/or HLA-A2 expression by serologic HLA typing * HLA-A2.1 subtype must be confirmed by polymerase chain reaction on genomic DNA obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells * No active CNS metastases by CT scan or MRI PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * Over 18 Performance status * Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy * At least 4 months Hematopoietic * WBC greater than 2,500/mm\^3 * Neutrophil count greater than 1,000/mm\^3 * Lymphocyte count greater than 700/mm\^3 * Platelet count greater than 75,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin greater than 9 g/dL * No bleeding disorders Hepatic * Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL * Hepatitis B surface antigen negative * Hepatitis C antibody negative Renal * Creatinine less than 2.5 mg/dL Cardiovascular * No clinically significant heart disease Pulmonary * No clinically significant respiratory disease Immunologic * No active systemic infection * No immunodeficiency disease * No evidence of HIV-1, HIV-2, or human T-cell lymphotropic virus-1 * No active autoimmune disease including (but not limited to): * Lupus erythematosus * Autoimmune thyroiditis or uveitis * Multiple sclerosis * Inflammatory bowel disease Other * Stable medical condition * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for at least 1 month after study participation * No organic brain syndrome or psychiatric illness that would preclude study compliance * No other concurrent active malignancy * No other concurrent serious illness that would preclude study treatment * No contraindication to leukapheresis PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy * No other concurrent immunotherapy Chemotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior systemic chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) * No concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy * No concurrent corticosteroids Radiotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy * No prior radiotherapy to the spleen * Concurrent palliative radiotherapy allowed Surgery * Recovered from prior surgery * No prior splenectomy * No prior organ allograft * Concurrent surgery on selected metastases (e.g., because of pain or local complications such as compression) allowed Other * No other concurrent investigational drugs * No concurrent participation in another clinical trial