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

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed locoregional or metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma * Stage III or IV disease * Stage III: pT4b, N0, M0 (satellite metastases) or any pT, N1 or pT, N1 or N2a-c, M0 (lymph node metastases or in transit intralymphatic metastases) * Stage IV: any pT, N1-2, M1a-b * Surgically incurable * Incurable with standard treatment (i.e., localized chemotherapy/limb perfusion for stage III, systemic chemotherapy for stage IV) * Unidimensionally or bidimensionally measurable disease by physical examination (e.g., cutaneous metastases) and/or non-invasive radiologic procedures NOTE: Stage III lesions may be measurable lymph nodes after incomplete resection and/or inoperable in transit metastases * HLA-A1 and/or HLA-A2 expression by serologic HLA typing * HLA-A2.01 subtype must be confirmed by polymerase chain reaction on genomic DNA obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells * No active CNS metastases * Previously treated CNS metastases (e.g., excision of a single metastasis) allowed if no active disease present by CT scan or MRI PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * Over 18 Performance status * Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy * At least 6 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 * No hepatitis B or C 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 lymphocytic virus-1 * No active autoimmune disease including, but not limited to: * Lupus erythematosus * Autoimmune thyroiditis or uveitis * Multiple sclerosis * Inflammatory bowel disease NOTE: Vitiligo allowed Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 weeks after study participation * No organic brain syndrome or significant psychiatric abnormality that would preclude study participation and follow-up * No contraindication to leukapheresis * No other active malignant neoplasms PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * More than 4 weeks since prior systemic immunotherapy * No concurrent immunotherapy during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination Chemotherapy * See Disease Characteristics * More than 4 weeks since prior systemic chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas \[e.g., fotemustine\]) * No concurrent chemotherapy during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination Endocrine therapy * No concurrent corticosteroids during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination Radiotherapy * No prior radiotherapy to the spleen * Concurrent palliative radiotherapy allowed for selected metastases (e.g., pain or local complications such as compression) Surgery * See Disease Characteristics * Recovered from prior surgery * No prior splenectomy * No prior organ allografts * Concurrent surgery of selected metastases (e.g., pain or local complications such as compression) allowed Other * No other concurrent investigational drugs during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination * No concurrent paramedical substance during and for 2 weeks after last vaccination * No concurrent participation or intent to participate in another clinical trial