DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologic confirmed diagnosis of malignant melanoma

  • Stage IV disease
  • Not amenable to surgery

• Measurable disease with at least one lesion whose longest diameter can be measured as ≥ 20 mm by CT or MRI scans OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT

  • No disease that is measurable by physical examination only
• No brain metastases per MRI or CT
• No radiographically documented invasion of adjacent organs (duodenum, stomach, etc.) or tumor invading major blood vessels

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Life expectancy ≥ 4 months
• ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL (transfusion allowed)
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL (unless Gilbert syndrome)
• AST ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Urine protein:creatinine ratio < 1.0 at screening OR proteinuria < 2+ by urine dipstick or protein ≤ 1 g by 24-hour urine collection
• Negative serum pregnancy test
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

Exclusion criteria:

• Active infection requiring parenteral antibiotics
• Poorly controlled high blood pressure (≥ 150 mm Hg systolic and/or 100 mm Hg diastolic) despite treatment
• NYHA class II-IV congestive heart failure
• Serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication
• Myocardial infarction or unstable angina within the past 6 months
• Clinically significant peripheral vascular disease
• Deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolus within the past year
• Active bleeding or pathological conditions that carry high risk of bleeding (e.g., known esophageal varices)
• Serious, non-healing wound (including wounds healing by secondary intention), ulcer or bone fracture
• Abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intraabdominal abscess within the past 6 months
• History of CNS disease (e.g., primary brain tumor, vascular abnormalities, etc.)
• Clinically significant stroke or TIA within the past 6 months
• Seizures not controlled with standard medical therapy
• Peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
• History of other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin treatable with local resection only or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• Significant traumatic injury within the past 4 weeks
• History of hypertensive crisis or hypertensive encephalopathy
• Active or recent (≤ 30 days) history of hemoptysis (≥ ½ teaspoon of bright red blood per episode)
• Known hypersensitivity to any of the components of bevacizumab
• Known to be HIV positive
• Current or known history of hepatitis

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Prior adjuvant chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy for this cancer allowed
• No prior treatment with agents disrupting VEGF activity (i.e., bevacizumab, VEGF-trap, anti-VEGFR Mab)
• No ongoing need for full-dose oral or parenteral anticoagulation
• No ongoing anti-platelet treatment other than low-dose aspirin (i.e., aspirin 81 mg daily)
• No other investigational agents within the past 4 weeks
• No major surgical procedure or open biopsy within the past 4 weeks
• No fine needle aspirations or core biopsies within the past 7 days
• No prior chemotherapy in the metastatic setting
• No prior treatment with sunitinib malate or sorafenib
• No prior treatment with any taxane-based chemotherapy
• Patients who have had > 25% of their functional bone marrow irradiated are not eligible for this trial
• No adjuvant radiation therapy within the past 4 weeks
• More than 2 weeks since prior and no concurrent palliative radiation therapy
• No concurrent major surgical procedure
• No concurrent participation in another clinical study for procedures or agents that treat the same primary study malignancy