Paclitaxel and GM-CSF in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Melanoma That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

Inclusion criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed unresectable stage III or IV melanoma from a cutaneous, mucosal, or unknown primary site * Unresectable stage III disease, defined as meeting 1 of the following criteria: * Regional metastasis that, in the judgement of the treating physician, cannot be surgically resected with clear margins * Regional metastasis that can be surgically resected with clear margins only by extensive surgery that is inadvisable or unacceptable to the treating physician and/or patient * Staging of cutaneous and mucosal melanoma based on the revised American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system * Must have measurable disease as defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Small Tumors (RECIST) criteria * No ocular melanoma * Patients with brain metastases may be eligible if all of the following are true: * Total number of brain metastases ever is ≤ 3 * Each brain metastasis has been completely removed by surgery or each unresected brain metastasis has been treated with stereotactic radiosurgery * Stereotactic radiosurgery, such as gamma knife, can be used up to 1 week before study entry * No evident growth of any brain metastasis since treatment * No brain metastasis that is \> 2 cm in diameter at study entry PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * ECOG performance status 0-1 * Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin \> 9 g/dL * AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN * Bilirubin normal * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN * No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No previous or concurrent autoimmune disorder requiring cytotoxic or immunosuppressive therapy * No autoimmune disorder with visceral involvement * The following conditions are allowed: * Laboratory evidence of autoimmune disease (e.g., positive ANA titer) without symptoms * Clinical evidence of vitiligo * Other forms of depigmenting illness * Mild arthritis requiring steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs * HIV negative * Hepatitis C negative * No other serious or poorly controlled medical condition that could be exacerbated by or complicate compliance with study therapy PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * No more than 1 previous chemotherapy regimen for metastatic melanoma * No previous paclitaxel * No chemotherapy, interferon, growth factors, interleukin, or radiotherapy (excluding gamma knife therapy for brain metastases) within the past 4 weeks * No surgical resection of metastatic lesions within the past 4 weeks * No other investigational medication within the past 4 weeks or during study * No nitrosoureas (e.g., carmustine or lomustine) within the past 6 weeks and during study treatment * No other concurrent chemotherapy, interferon, other growth factors, interleukin, illegal drugs, radiotherapy, surgery, or steroid therapy * No concurrent oral or injectable hydrocortisone (at doses \> 15 mg per day) or its equivalent