OBJECTIVES: I. Determine whether indomethacin given prior to tumor removal can increase the number of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) obtained from the tumor specimen of patients with advanced melanoma. II. Determine the efficacy of administering concurrent indomethacin to maximize immune effector cell function in situ during interleukin-2/TIL therapy in these patients. III. Determine the relationship between the phenotypic character of TIL (generated in culture from the patient's tumor) and the response to therapy. IV. Correlate the lytic activity or lymphokine production of TIL (generated in culture from the patient's tumor) with clinical response to therapy. V. Generate and use lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells in those patients who do not have TIL available for therapy and evaluate LAK cells in the same manner as TIL.