Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of ocular melanoma

- High-risk disease, defined by any of the following:

- Large choroidal tumors with a basal diameter ≥ 16 mm and/or tumor thickness
≥ 10 mm (T3)

- Extrascleral extension (T4)

- Ciliary body involvement

- Epithelioid cell type only

- Have undergone appropriate primary treatment for ocular melanoma

- No measurable metastatic disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- ECOG performance status 0-2

- ANC ≥ 1,200/mm³

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³

- Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL

- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min

- AST and ALT ≤ 3 times upper limit of normal

- Pancreatic enzymes normal

- Thyroid function normal or stable on replacement therapy

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- Cardiac ejection fraction ≥ 50% by MUGA or ECHO

- No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

- No congestive heart failure requiring medication

- No history of pulmonary disease requiring supplemental oxygen

- No dyspnea at rest

- No active infection

- No chronic underlying immunodeficiency disease

- No other serious illness that would preclude patient safety, in the opinion of the
investigator

- No other cancer within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or cervical
cancer

- No thromboembolic disease within the past 6 months

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- No prior sunitinib malate, tamoxifen citrate, or cisplatin

- No other concurrent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery