S0008: Chemotherapy Plus Biological Therapy in Treating Patients With Melanoma

Inclusion criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically proven melanoma of cutaneous origin or from unknown primary at initial presentation of primary or first clinically detected nodal or satellite/in-transit recurrence * No distant metastases * No melanoma of ocular, mucosal, or other non-cutaneous origin * One of the following criteria must apply for patients with newly diagnosed melanoma OR a previously diagnosed primary with current subsequent, clinical, regional nodal disease and/or satellite/in-transit disease: * Ulcerated primary melanoma with 1 or more involved lymph nodes (micro/occult or macro/clinically overt) * Non-ulcerated or unknown primary melanoma with one macro/clinically overt lymph node metastasis, including a single matted nodal mass * No non-ulcerated or unknown primary tumor and a single micrometastatic lymph node * Non-ulcerated melanoma with two or more lymph node metastases (micro/occult or macro/clinically overt) and/or matted nodes * Any satellite/in transit metastasis with or without lymph node involvement * Patients with recurrent disease must have recurrent disease in the regional nodal basin of a prior complete lymphadenectomy * Multiple regional nodal basin involvement allowed if they are appropriate anatomic drainage basins for primary site * Patients must be disease free at time of enrollment based on the following surgical criteria: * Patients at initial presentation of melanoma must undergo adequate wide excision of primary lesion * Patients with previously diagnosed melanoma must have all disease resected with pathologically negative margins and no disease at primary site or second resection of primary * Full lymphadenectomy required of all patients including those with positive sentinel nodes or positive satellite/in-transit metastasis * No more than 56 days since prior lymphadenectomy OR surgery to remove recurrent disease after prior complete lymphadenectomy * Must be willing to participate in minimal residual disease studies if registered on the study on 3/1/2003 or later PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and over Performance status: * Zubrod 0-1 Life expectancy: * Not specified Hematopoietic: * Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic: * Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * SGOT or SGPT no greater than 2 times ULN * LDH and alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN (above normal value requires a contrast-enhanced CT scan or MRI of liver) * No known recent hepatitis positivity by PCR Renal: * Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL OR * Creatinine clearance at least 75 mL/min Cardiovascular: * No congestive heart failure * No coronary artery disease * No serious cardiac arrhythmia * No prior myocardial infarction * Normal cardiac stress test required if any of the following are present: * Over age 50 * Abnormal EKG * History of cardiac disease Pulmonary: * No symptomatic pulmonary disease Other: * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No autoimmune disorders or conditions of immunosuppression * No other prior malignancy within the past 5 years except the following: * Adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer * Carcinoma in situ of the cervix * Adequately treated stage I or II cancer in remission * HIV negative * No known AIDS or HIV-1 associated complex PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * No prior immunotherapy, including interferon, interleukin, levamisole, or other biologic response modifiers * No other concurrent biologic therapy Chemotherapy: * No prior chemotherapy (including infusion or perfusion therapy) * No other concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * No concurrent systemic corticosteroids or topical steroid creams * Concurrent steroid antihistamines allowed if no alternative * No concurrent hormonal therapy Radiotherapy: * No prior radiotherapy * Prior postlumpectomy radiotherapy for breast cancer allowed * No concurrent radiotherapy Surgery: * See Disease Characteristics * No concurrent surgery Other: * No concurrent anti-hypertensive medications (arm II only) * No concurrent immunosuppressive agents * No other concurrent anticancer therapy * Antihistamines allowed if no alternative medication suitable