DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed breast cancer (may include original primary cancer diagnosis)
• Measurable disease

• Metastatic involvement with minimal or no symptoms

  • Solitary metastases require histological confirmation
• No extensive liver involvement (more than 50% of liver parenchyma)
• No lymphangitic pulmonary involvement
• CNS involvement or spinal cord compression allowed if stabilized by therapy for more than 3 months

• Hormone receptor status:

  • Not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Sex:

• Female

Menopausal status:

• Not specified

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

• More than 6 months

Hematopoietic:

• WBC at least 2,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 75,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.7 mg/dL

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

Other:

• Not pregnant
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No history of multiple or severe food or medicine allergies

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• At least 1 week since prior biologic therapy
• No concurrent anticancer biologic therapy

Chemotherapy:

• At least 1 week since prior chemotherapy
• No concurrent anticancer chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

• At least 1 week since prior hormonal therapy
• No concurrent anticancer hormonal therapy

Radiotherapy:

• Not specified

Surgery:

• Not specified

Other:

• Recovered from prior anticancer therapy
• At least 1 week since prior investigational agents
• At least 1 week since prior herbal medications
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• Concurrent pamidronate allowed
• Concurrent acupuncture or other nonherbal therapy allowed
• Concurrent nutritional vitamin supplementation (up to 5 times recommended daily allowance) allowed