OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the safety of photodynamic therapy with verteporfin and Detox-B adjuvant in patients with stage III or IV melanoma. II. Determine the clinical response in patients treated with this regimen. III. Determine whether this regimen induces systemic cellular and humoral immune responses to melanoma antigens in these patients. IV. Determine the ablation of cutaneous tumors in patients treated with this regimen.