OBJECTIVES:

• Compare the efficacy of postoperative adjuvant therapy with interferon alfa-2b (IFN-A) administered subcutaneously with or without IV induction vs concurrent biochemotherapy including cisplatin, vinblastine, DTIC, IFN-A and IL-2 and in melanoma patients with regional lymph node metastases that have been surgically resected.
• Determine the relative toxic effects associated with adjuvant therapy with IFN-A and concurrent biochemotherapy including cisplatin, vinblastine, DTIC, IFN-A, and IL-2 and their effect on the quality of life.
• Determine the prognostic value of detection of melanoma cells in the peripheral blood using RT/PCR for tyrosinase mRNA.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized study. All patients are stratified according to prognostic factors.

Patients are randomly allocated to 1 of 2 treatment options. Treatment 1 uses interferon alfa-2b (IFN-A) therapy, and treatment 2 includes adjuvant biochemotherapy.

Patients who are randomized to IFN-A will be further stratified and randomized to one of two interferon schedules.

• Schedule A: IV IFN-A induction 5 times a week for 4 weeks followed by subcutaneous IFN-A maintenance 3 times a week for 48 weeks.
• Schedule B: Subcutaneous IFN-A 3 times a week for 52 weeks. Adjuvant biochemotherapy begins immediately after registration on the study. Cisplatin is given IV on days 1-4; vinblastine is given IVPB on days 1-4; dacarbazine (DTIC) is given IVPB on day 1; IFN-A is given subcutaneously on days 1-5; IL-2 is given by continuous infusion for a total of 96 hours on days 1-4. Each course of therapy is repeated every 21 days for 4 courses. Patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy will start adjuvant systemic therapy within 8 weeks from lymphadenectomy and a week after completion of and recovery from radiotherapy.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 200 patients (100 patients in each arm) will be entered.