Sulindac in Preventing Melanoma in Healthy Participants Who Are at Increased Risk of Melanoma

Inclusion Criteria

• •Criteria:
• •Healthy participants at risk for developing melanoma and meeting the following criteria: must have \>= 4 large (\>= 5 mm and \< 15 mm) atypical nevi and have 1 benign nevus amenable to biopsies
• •No histologically confirmed melanoma on the baseline biopsy
• •No more than 1 prior cutaneous melanoma
• •One prior stage I, IIA, or IIB melanoma allowed provided patients have been off treatment \> 3 months
• •Modified dermoscopy score \< 4.8
• •Karnofsky performance status 80-100%
• •ANC \>= 1,500/mm\^3
• •No family history of melanoma involving \>= 2 first degree relatives
• •Platelets count \>= 100,000/mm\^3
• •Total bilirubin =\< 2.0 mg/dL
• •AST/ALT =\< 2.0 times upper limit of normal
• •Creatinine =\< 1.5 mg/dL
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •More than 6 months since prior and no concurrent tanning bed use or other methods to promote sun-tanning
• •Willing to minimize sunlight exposure by applying sunscreen/sunblock or wearing clothing to shield skin during outdoor activity during study participation
• •Willing or able to limit alcohol consumption to less than 3 servings a week during the study period
• •No frequent, chronic or moderate/severe gastrointestinal (GI) complaints
• •Upper GI problems requiring prescription or nonprescription medical remedies for symptoms of heartburn, dyspepsia, nausea, or abdominal pain \> once a week on average
• •History of peptic ulcer, occult or gross intestinal bleeding
• •No prior allergic reaction to aspirin (unless subsequent dosing with other NSAIDs has been well tolerated)
• •No history of allergic reaction to lidocaine or xylocaine
• •No history of allergic reaction (e.g., urticaria, asthma, or rhinitis) or gastric intolerance attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to sulindac
• •No invasive cancer or cancer treatment within the past 5 years, except nonmelanoma skin cancer
• •No immunosuppression by medication or disease, including any of the following: AIDS, oral prednisone, immunosuppressant/immunomodulator (i.e., cyclosporine, chemotherapeutic agent, or biologic therapy)
• •No uncontrolled intercurrent illness
• •No ongoing or active infection
• •No symptomatic congestive heart failure
• •No unstable angina pectoris
• •No cardiac arrhythmia
• •No psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
• •At least 30 days since prior participation and no concurrent enrollment or planning to enroll in another clinical trial
• •No NSAIDs for more than 5 days per month within the past 3 months and no concurrent non-study NSAIDs, except low dose aspirin (81 mg/day)
• •Willing or able to refrain from herbal medicines, above-standard vitamins, or minerals during study
• •Standard daily multivitamin/mineral supplement (i.e., therapeutic doses of calcium and vitamin D for osteoporosis) allowed
• •No concurrent lithium, phenytoin, or sulfonamides
• •WBC \>= 3,000/mm\^3
• •No history of bleeding or clotting disorder
• •At least 3 months since prior and no concurrent coumadin or other systemic anticoagulant other than aspirin