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