DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed melanoma

  • Stage II-IV disease

• Has undergone surgical resection within the past 12 months

  • No clinical or radiological evidence of disease after surgical resection
  • Must have ≥ 1 undissected axillary and/or inguinal lymph node basin
• HLA-A1, -A2, or -A3 positive
• Ineligible for OR refused interferon

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 12 and over

Performance status

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count > 1,000/mm^3
• Platelet count > 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin > 9 g/dL

Hepatic

• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Lactic dehydrogenase ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Hepatitis C negative

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular

• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease

Immunologic

• HIV negative
• No known or suspected allergy to any component of the study vaccines
• No autoimmune disorder with visceral involvement
• No prior active autoimmune disorder requiring cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy

• The following immunologic conditions are allowed:

  • Laboratory evidence of autoimmune disease (e.g., positive anti-nuclear antibody titer) without symptoms
  • Clinical evidence of vitiligo
  • Other forms of depigmenting illness
  • Mild arthritis requiring non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Weight ≥ 110 lbs

• No uncontrolled diabetes

  • Hemoglobin A1C < 7% (for patients with diabetes)
• No medical contraindication or potential problem that would preclude study compliance
• No known active addiction to alcohol or drugs
• No recent (within the past year) or ongoing illicit IV drug use

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• Prior vaccinations that resulted in recurrent disease during or after vaccine administration allowed provided the last vaccination was administered more than 12 weeks ago
• Prior multi-epitope melanoma peptide vaccine that resulted in a negative immune response allowed
• More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent interferon (e.g., Intron-A®), interleukins (e.g., Proleukin®), or growth factors (e.g., Procrit®, Aranesp®, or Neulasta®)
• More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent allergy desensitization injections
• No influenza vaccine for at least 2 weeks before or after study vaccine administration

Chemotherapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas [e.g., carmustine or lomustine])
• No concurrent chemotherapy, including nitrosoureas

Endocrine therapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent oral or parenteral corticosteroids (e.g., prednisone)
• No prior or concurrent inhaled steroids (e.g., Advair®, Flovent®, Azmacort®)
• Concurrent topical corticosteroids allowed

Radiotherapy

• More than 4 weeks since prior and no concurrent radiotherapy
• Prior stereotactic radiosurgery allowed provided it was completed within the past 12 months

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 4 weeks since prior surgical resection of metastatic lesion(s)
• No concurrent surgery requiring general anesthesia

Other

• More than 4 weeks since prior and no other concurrent investigational agents
• More than 30 days since prior and no concurrent participation in another clinical study
• No other concurrent immunosuppressive therapy