Phase II Study in Patients With Metastatic Ocular Melanoma Using a Non-Myeloablative Lymphocyte Depleting Regimen of Chemotherapy Followed by Infusion of Autologous Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes With or Without High Dose Aldesleukin

Background:

• The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Surgery Branch has developed an experimental therapy that involves taking white blood cells from patients' tumors, growing them in the laboratory in large numbers, and then giving the cells back to the patient. These cells are called Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes, or TIL and we have given this type of treatment to over 200 patients with melanoma. This study will use chemotherapy to prepare the immune system before this white blood cell treatment. After receiving the cells, the drug aldesleukin (IL-2) may be given to help the cells stay alive longer.

Objectives:

• To see if chemotherapy and white blood cell therapy is a safe and effective treatment for advanced ocular melanoma.

Eligibility:

• Individuals at least greater than or equal to 16 years to less than or equal to 75 years who have advanced ocular melanoma.

Design:

• Work up stage: Patients will be seen as an outpatient at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical Center and undergo a history and physical examination, scans, x-rays, lab tests, and other tests as needed.
• Surgery: If the patients meet all of the requirements for the study they will undergo surgery to remove a tumor that can be used to grow the TIL product.
• Leukapheresis: Patients may undergo leukapheresis to obtain additional white blood cells. {Leukapheresis is a common procedure, which removes only the white blood cells from the patient.}
• Treatment: Once their cells have grown, the patients will be admitted to the hospital for the conditioning chemotherapy, the TIL cells and aldesleukin. They will stay in the hospital for about 4 weeks for the treatment.
• Follow up: Patients will return to the clinic for a physical exam, review of side effects, lab tests, and scans about every 1-3 months for the first year, and then every 6 months to 1 year as long as their tumors are shrinking. Follow up visits take up to 2 days.