Celecoxib and Trastuzumab in Treating Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically proven metastatic breast cancer
• * HER2/neu-positive (overexpressing) tumor tissue
• Failed prior trastuzumab (Herceptin) therapy with or without chemotherapy
• Resected stage IV disease allowed if evidence of disease
• Bidimensionally measurable or evaluable disease
• * No lesions in previously irradiated field except nonbone lesions progressive after radiotherapy
• * No pleural effusions
• * No blastic or mixed bony metastases
• * No palpable abdominal masses
• No leptomeningeal disease
• Brain metastases allowed if:
• * No concurrent use of steroids
• * At least 3 months since prior brain irradiation
• * No evidence of progression of metastases
• Hormone receptor status:
• * Not specified
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Sex:
• Female
• Menopausal status:
• Not specified
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 70-100%
• Life expectancy:
• At least 3 months
• Hematopoietic:
• Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 8.0 g/dL
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• AST/ALT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• Cardiovascular:
• LVEF at least 50%
• Other:
• Not pregnant
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception
• No other prior malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or nonmelanoma skin cancer
• No other serious medical illness
• No severe infection
• No severe malnutrition
• No prior allergic reactions to sulfonamides or celecoxib
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Prior trastuzumab (Herceptin) for breast cancer allowed, either as adjuvant/neoadjuvant or for metastatic disease
• Chemotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) and recovered
• Prior cytotoxic therapy for breast cancer allowed, either as adjuvant/neoadjuvant or for metastatic disease
• Endocrine therapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior hormonal therapy
• Prior exogenous hormonal therapy for stage IV disease and/or as adjuvant therapy allowed
• Radiotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered
• Prior localized radiotherapy allowed if no influence on the signal measurable lesion
• Concurrent localized radiotherapy allowed if no influence on the signal measurable lesion
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior major surgery and recovered
• At least 2 weeks since prior minor surgery and recovered