DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed malignant melanoma

  • Stage IIB, IIC, III, or IV disease

    • Patients free of disease after surgical resection must meet 1 of the following criteria:

      • Refused high-dose interferon alfa
      • Recurrence while on interferon alfa
    • Patients with stage IIB, IIC, or III disease must have already undergone initial standard therapy (i.e., surgery) for the disease

• Choroidal (uveal) melanoma allowed provided 1 of the following criteria is met:

  • Basal diameter > 16 mm
  • Basal height > 8 mm
  • Involvement of the ciliary body with tumor
• HLA-A*0201 positive
• Negative serum antidouble-stranded DNA antibody screen
• No known brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Karnofsky performance status 80-100%
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm^3
• Lactic dehydrogenase ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• Bilirubin ≤ 2.5 times ULN
• Albumin ≥ 3.5 mg/dL
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Weight ≥ 25 kg
• No preexisting choroidal eye disease
• No serious underlying medical conditions that could be exacerbated by study participation (i.e., active infections requiring antimicrobial drugs or active bleeding)
• No allergy to gold (i.e., gold jewelry)

• No evidence of any condition at the proposed site(s) of vaccine administration that might interfere with the interpretation of local skin reactions, including any of the following:

  • Damaged skin
  • Moles
  • Scars
  • Tattoos
  • Marks
• No prior medical condition or use of medication (e.g., corticosteroids) that might make it difficult for the patient to complete the full course of treatment or to respond immunologically to vaccines

• No history or evidence (within the past 5 years) of a physician-diagnosed chronic or recurrent inflammatory skin disease at the proposed site of vaccine administration, including any of the following:

  • Psoriasis
  • Eczema
  • Atopic dermatitis
  • Hypersensitivity
• No history of keloid formation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered
• No prior immunization with any class of vaccine containing gp100 peptide
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent systemic therapy or radiotherapy