Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Interleukin-2 and Interferon Alfa in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Interleukin-2 may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill melanoma cells. Interferon alfa may interfere with the growth of tumor cells. It is not yet known whether combination chemotherapy plus interleukin-2 and interferon alfa is more effective than combination chemotherapy alone for metastatic melanoma. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare combination chemotherapy with or without interleukin-2 and interferon alfa in treating patients who have metastatic melanoma that cannot be treated by surgery.