Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients with Recurrent Stage IIIC-IV Melanoma

Inclusion Criteria

• Participants must have histologically or cytologically confirmed stage IV melanoma or recurrent stage IIIc melanoma following primary treatment of surgery and prior treatment or consideration of adjuvant therapy
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1
• No known allergy or adverse reaction (e.g., wound dehiscence) to poly-lactide-co-glycolide (PLG)
• Women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation; should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately
• Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
• >= 3 weeks from protocol tissue procurement since treatment (surgery, chemo-, radiation-, hormone- therapy, check point blockade [e.g., anti-CTLA-4, PD-1, PDL-1]); (windows are in relation to the date of the protocol tissue procurement)
• Participants must have recovered from any acute toxicity associated with prior therapy
• >= 4 weeks from protocol tissue procurement since resolution of all immune related toxicities and off systemic steroids >= 4 weeks; prophylactic use of steroids in preparation for radiologic exams are acceptable
• History of central nervous system (CNS) disease is acceptable if effectively treated and demonstrated stable disease for >= 2 months from protocol tissue procurement
• Participants must have a clinical indication for resection of metastatic melanoma; patients will be informed about other treatment options for stage IV melanoma including Braf inhibitors and antibodies to CTLA-4

Exclusion Criteria

• Participants may not be receiving any other investigational study agents or treatment for their cancer
• Active autoimmune disease requiring treatment for suppression of inflammation with the exception of autoimmune thyroiditis
• History of allergic reactions or adverse reactions (e.g., wound dehiscence) attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to PLG or known hypersensitivity to GM-CSF, CPG or PLG
• Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to uncontrolled active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements or other condition that in the judgment of the principal investigator would interfere with the surgical implantation of the scaffold
• Pregnant women are excluded from this study; breastfeeding should be discontinued if the mother is treated with WDVAX
• Individuals with a history of a different malignancy are ineligible except for the following circumstances; individuals with a history of other malignancies are eligible if they have been disease-free for at least 5 years and are deemed by the investigator to be at low risk for recurrence of that malignancy; individuals with the following cancers are eligible if diagnosed and treated within the past 5 years: cervical cancer in situ, and basal cell or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals are ineligible