Gemcitabine in Treating Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer Previously Treated With Doxorubicin and Paclitaxel

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed metastatic breast cancer
• Bidimensionally measurable disease
• * No bone scan abnormalities alone
• * Lytic lesions in conjunction with bone scan abnormalities allowed
• * No pure blastic bone metastases
• * No pleural or peritoneal effusions
• * No previously irradiated lesions
• Must have received 2-4 prior chemotherapy regimens, including paclitaxel and doxorubicin, for breast cancer
• Brain metastases allowed if other measurable disease exists
• * No uncontrolled or life threatening brain lesions
• No carcinomatous meningitis
• Hormone receptor status:
• * Not specified
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Sex:
• Female
• Menopausal status:
• Not specified
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 60-100%
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• AST/ALT no greater than 5 times upper limit of normal
• Renal:
• Calcium no greater than 11.0 mg/dL
• Other:
• Not pregnant
• Negative pregnancy test
• No history of other malignancy except carcinoma in situ of the cervix or curatively treated nonmelanoma skin cancer
• No other serious medical illnesses, including severe infection and severe malnutrition
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas and mitomycin) and recovered
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• Prior hormonal therapies for stage IV disease and/or adjuvant therapy allowed
• At least 3 weeks since prior hormonal therapy
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior radiotherapy to greater than 30% of the marrow bearing bone
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• No concurrent radiotherapy to the only measurable lesion
• Surgery:
• Recovered from prior surgery
• No concurrent surgery to the only measurable lesion
• Other:
• No concurrent nonprotocol treatment