Biological Therapy in Treating Children With Refractory or Recurrent Neuroblastoma or Other Tumors

Inclusion criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed neuroblastoma or melanoma at original diagnosis * Refractory to chemotherapy or recurrence after prior multiagent chemotherapy * Measurable or evaluable (detectable by bone scan) metastatic disease OR * No evidence of disease if complete response to prior surgical resection, radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy OR * Histologically confirmed tumor expressing GD2 antigen at original diagnosis or relapse * Refractory to standard treatment * Measurable or evaluable disease by clinical assessments or laboratory markers OR * No evidence of disease after prior surgical resection of metastatic, recurrent disease * Histologically confirmed recurrent osteogenic sarcoma after prior chemotherapy allowed * Soft tissue sarcoma allowed * No primary CNS tumors * Prior CNS metastases allowed, provided: * Disease previously treated * Disease clinically stable for 4 weeks before study * At least 4 weeks since prior steroids for CNS metastases * No clinically detectable pleural effusions or ascites PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 21 and under Performance status: * Karnofsky 60-100% for children over age 10 * Lansky 60-100% for children age 10 and under Life expectancy: * At least 12 weeks Hematopoietic: * Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 75,000/mm\^3 (transfusion allowed) * Hemoglobin at least 9.0 g/dL (transfusion allowed) Hepatic: * Bilirubin less than 1.5 mg/dL * ALT or AST no greater than 2.5 times normal * Hepatitis B surface antigen negative Renal: * Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL OR * Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate at least 60 mL/min Cardiovascular: * Shortening fraction at least 27% by echocardiogram OR * Ejection fraction more than 50% by MUGA scan * No congestive heart failure * No uncontrolled cardiac rhythm disturbance Pulmonary: * FEV\_1 and FVC more than 60% of predicted OR * No dyspnea at rest * No exercise intolerance * Oxygen saturation more than 94% by pulse oximetry on room air Neurologic: * No seizure disorders requiring antiseizure medications * No significant neurologic deficit or grade 2 or greater objective peripheral neuropathy Other: * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * HIV negative * No significant concurrent illnesses unrelated to cancer or its treatment * No significant psychiatric disabilities * No uncontrolled active infections * No uncontrolled active peptic ulcer PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * At least 1 week since prior growth factors * At least 1 week since prior immunomodulatory therapy * Prior monoclonal antibodies allowed if no detectable antibody to hu14.18 * Prior autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) or stem cell transplantation (SCT) allowed * Prior autologous BMT or SCT with monoclonal antibody-purged specimens allowed * No concurrent growth factors * No concurrent interferon Chemotherapy: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas, mitomycin, or melphalan) * No concurrent palliative chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 2 weeks since prior glucocorticoids, except for life-threatening symptoms * No concurrent corticosteroids * No concurrent glucocorticoids, except for life-threatening symptoms Radiotherapy: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy * No concurrent palliative radiotherapy Surgery: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 2 weeks since prior major surgery (e.g., laparotomy or thoracotomy) * No prior organ allografts * No concurrent palliative surgery Other: * Recovered from prior therapy * At least 1 week since prior tretinoin * At least 3 weeks since prior immunosuppressive therapy * No other concurrent immunosuppressive drugs