Combination Chemotherapy and Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation in Treating Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVES: I. Assess the toxicity and response rates to induction therapy with docetaxel and doxorubicin in women with chemotherapy naive metastatic breast cancer. II. Assess the toxicity and response rates to sequential high dose chemotherapy following induction chemotherapy in women with metastatic breast cancer. III. Determine the hematopoietic recovery rate following CD34+ selected peripheral blood stem cell support in this patient population. IV. Assess the toxicity of noncytotoxic maintenance therapy following high dose chemotherapy in this patient population. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients with no prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease receive induction chemotherapy consisting of doxorubicin IV immediately followed by docetaxel IV over 1 hour on day 1. Patients receive filgrastim (G-CSF) subcutaneously (SQ) beginning on day 2 and continuing until day 11-15. Induction therapy repeats every 3 weeks for 4 courses. Within 4 weeks of the last course of induction chemotherapy, patients receive mobilization chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide IV for 2 days, and etoposide IV and cisplatin IV for 3 days. At 24 hours following completion of chemotherapy, patients receive G-CSF SQ twice daily until the target number of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) are reached. Within 5 weeks following completion of mobilization chemotherapy, patients receive cyclophosphamide IV, thiotepa IV, and carboplatin IV continuously on days -7 through -4. Patients receive CD34+ selected PBSC on day 0 followed 4 hours later by G-CSF SQ daily and continuing until blood counts recover. Within 30 days of blood count recovery or immediately following completion of post transplantation radiotherapy, patients receive maintenance therapy consisting of oral anastrozole daily until disease progression. Patients with bone involvement also receive pamidronate IV over 2 hours monthly for 1 year. Patients are followed monthly for 6 months, every 3 months for 1 year, every 4-6 months for 5 years, and then annually thereafter. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 50 patients will be accrued for this study over 12 months.