Cyclophosphamide and Fludarabine Followed By Interleukin-2 Gene-Modified Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Diagnosis of melanoma
• * Metastatic disease
• * Refractory to standard therapy including high-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy
• Evaluable disease
• Patients may enroll at the cell infusion stage provided they have tumor available for biopsy OR expandable SBIL-2-transduced tumor infiltrating lymphocytes available
• Progressive disease during prior immunization to melanoma antigens or cellular therapy, with or without myeloablation, allowed
• Symptomatic CNS lesions allowed provided immediate active treatment for symptomatic lesions has been completed
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age
• 18 and over
• Performance status
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy
• More than 3 months
• Hematopoietic
• Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,000/mm\^3
• WBC greater than 3,000/mm\^3
• Lymphocyte count greater than 500/mm\^3
• Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin greater than 8.0 g/dL
• No coagulation disorder
• Hepatic
• Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL (less than 3.0 mg/dL in patients with Gilbert's syndrome)
• AST/ALT less than 3 times upper limit of normal
• Hepatitis B surface antigen negative
• Hepatitis C virus negative
• Renal
• Creatinine no greater than 1.6 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular
• No myocardial infarction
• No cardiac arrhythmias
• No abnormal stress thallium or comparable test
• LVEF \> 45% and normal stress cardiac test in patients with the following criteria:
• * 50 years old or greater
• * History of EKG abnormalities, symptoms of cardiac ischemia or arrhythmias
• No major cardiovascular illness
• Pulmonary
• No obstructive or restrictive pulmonary disease
• No major respiratory illness
• FEV\_1 \> 60% predicted in patients with prolonged history of cigarette smoking or symptoms of respiratory dysfunction
• Immunologic
• HIV negative
• No prior severe immediate hypersensitivity reaction
• No primary or secondary immunodeficiency
• No active systemic infection
• No concurrent opportunistic infection
• No major immune system illness
• Other
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 4 months after study therapy
• Must sign a durable power of attorney
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antibody-4 antibody (CTLA-4) allowed unless post-MDX010 treatment and colonoscopy with colonic biopsies are normal
• Chemotherapy
• Recovered from prior chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy
• No concurrent steroids
• Radiotherapy
• Recovered from prior radiotherapy
• Surgery
• Not specified
• Other
• More than 4 weeks since prior systemic therapy