OBJECTIVES: * Compare immune response in patients with stage IIB-IV melanoma treated with vaccination comprising multiple synthetic melanoma peptides and Montanide ISA-51 with vs without sargramostim (GM-CSF). * Compare immune response in patients treated with these vaccinations administered at 1 vs 2 sites. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, open-label study. Patients are randomized to 1 of 4 treatment arms. * Arm I: Patients receive vaccination comprising multiple synthetic melanoma peptides and Montanide ISA-51 at 1 injection site. * Arm II: Patients receive vaccination comprising multiple synthetic melanoma peptides and Montanide ISA-51 at 2 injection sites. * Arm III: Patients receive vaccination comprising multiple synthetic melanoma peptides, Montanide ISA-51, and sargramostim (GM-CSF) at 1 injection site. * Arm IV: Patients receive vaccination comprising multiple synthetic melanoma peptides, Montanide ISA-51, and GM-CSF at 2 injection sites. In all arms, treatment repeats once weekly for 6 weeks. Patients return for booster vaccinations at weeks 12, 26, 39, and 52. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A maximum of 124 patients will be accrued for this study.
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of melanoma * Stage IIB, IIC, III, or IV disease * Must express HLA-A1, -A2, or -A3 * No ocular melanoma PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 12 and over Performance status * ECOG 0-1 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * Absolute neutrophil count \> 1,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin \> 9 g/dL Hepatic * Liver function tests ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Renal * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN Cardiovascular * No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease Other * Not pregnant or nursing * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer without brain metastasis, carcinoma in situ of the breast, or carcinoma in situ of the cervix PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * More than 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior growth factors * More than 4 weeks since prior allergy shots * No prior vaccine therapy for melanoma or any other cancer with any of the peptides used in this study * More than 12 weeks since prior melanoma vaccine therapy\* NOTE: \*Prior melanoma vaccine allowed only for patients with disease progression during or after administration of the vaccine Chemotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy * More than 4 weeks since prior steroids Radiotherapy * More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy Surgery * Not specified