DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed malignant melanoma

  • Stage IV disease
  • No known potentially curative standard therapy that exists or is proven capable of extending life expectancy
• Measurable disease

• No history of or current CNS metastases

  • MRI of the brain to confirm absence of CNS metastases within the past 28 days is required
• No known, presently active carcinomatous meningitis

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• ECOG performance status 0-2
• Life expectancy ≥ 6 months
• ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST ≤ 3 times ULN
• Creatinine ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
• Prothrombin time normal
• Willing to return to Mayo Clinic Rochester, Jacksonville or Scottsdale for follow-up
• Must be able to self-administer or has a caregiver who can reliably administer subcutaneous injections
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No uncontrolled or current infection
• No New York Heart Association class III-IV heart disease
• No recent history of (i.e., ≤ 12 weeks from study day 1) or current cancer-related bleeding event (e.g., hemoptysis)
• No recent history of (within the past 4 weeks) or current noncancer-related clinically significant bleeding event
• No uncontrolled hypertension
• No history of stroke or other CNS bleeding events (e.g., aneurysms)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered (6 weeks for mitomycin C or nitrosoureas)
• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy, biologic therapy, radiotherapy, or surgery
• No concurrent anticoagulation therapy or antiplatelet therapy
• No other concurrent antineoplastic agents (e.g., cytotoxic chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, or investigational therapy) except local radiotherapy for supportive reasons involving a small radiation field