Phase II of Naltrexone in Hormone-Refractory Metastatic Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVES: Primary * Determine the efficacy of naltrexone in women with hormone-refractory, metastatic breast cancer as measured by serial fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography-CT scans. Secondary * Determine the safety of naltrexone in these patients. * Determine the median time to event (first time when maximum specific uptake values is higher than that at baseline) within 1 year of study entry. OUTLINE: This is an open-label study. Patients receive oral naltrexone once daily for 8 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After 8 weeks, patients may continue naltrexone off study at the discretion of the physician. Patients undergo fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography-CT scans at baseline, week 4, week 8, and periodically thereafter. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed for up to 1 year. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 35 patients will be accrued for this study.