Temozolomide and Interferon Alfa in Treating Patients With Stage III or Stage IV Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed malignant melanoma
• * Unresectable stage III or stage IV disease
• * Ocular, mucosal, or cutaneous melanoma
• Measurable disease
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 70-100%
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 150,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT/SGPT no greater than 3 times ULN
• Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 3 times ULN
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min
• Cardiovascular:
• No history of severe cardiovascular disease
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No unstable angina
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease (congestive heart failure)
• No ventricular tachyarrhythmias
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• HIV negative
• No AIDS-related illness
• No frequent vomiting or other medical condition that would preclude oral medication intake (e.g., partial bowel obstruction)
• No serious infection requiring IV antibiotics
• No psychiatric disorder requiring ongoing therapy or medication
• No nonmalignant illness or other medical condition that would preclude study
• No other active malignancy within the past 2 years except non-melanoma skin cancer, carcinoma in situ of the cervix, or T1a or b prostate cancer detected initially during transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) (comprising less than 5% of resected tissue) with PSA level normal since TURP
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior biologic therapy or immunotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent immunotherapy
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior dacarbazine
• No prior temozolomide
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• No concurrent systemic corticosteroids
• Radiotherapy:
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy, interstitial brachytherapy, or radiosurgery
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy to the brain for brain metastases
• Prior radiotherapy to indicator lesions allowed if there is evidence of disease progression
• Recovered from prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• At least 2 weeks since prior surgical procedure requiring general anesthesia and recovered