Herceptin Followed by Chemotherapy in Treating Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer That Overexpresses HER2

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast carcinoma
• •Clinically or radiologically measurable or evaluable disease
• •* Bidimensionally or unidimensionally measurable lesions
• •No ascitic, pleural, or pericardial effusions, osteoblastic bone metastases, or carcinomatous lymphangitis of the lung as only indicator lesion
• •No known clinical brain or meningeal involvement
• •Hormone receptor status:
• •* Not specified
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •18 to 70
• •Sex:
• •Female
• •Menopausal status:
• •Not specified
• •Performance status:
• •ECOG 0-1 OR
• •SAKK 0-1
• •Life expectancy:
• •At least 12 weeks
• •Hematopoietic:
• •Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• •Absolute neutrophil count at least 2,000/mm\^3
• •Hepatic:
• •Bilirubin normal
• •SGOT and/or SGPT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (3 times ULN if proven liver metastases) OR
• •No SGOT and/or SGPT greater than 1.5 times ULN if alkaline phosphatase greater than 2.5 times ULN
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine no greater than 1.25 times ULN
• •Cardiovascular:
• •LVEF normal
• •No history of atrial ventricular arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, or angina pectoris, even if medically controlled
• •No history of second or third-degree heart blocks
• •No uncontrolled hypertension
• •Other:
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •No pre-existing motor or sensory neuropathy grade 2 or greater
• •No psychiatric disorder that would preclude informed consent
• •No other prior malignancy except curatively treated nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• •No definite contraindications for use of corticosteroids
• •No other concurrent serious illness or medical condition
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •Not specified
• •Chemotherapy:
• •Prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy allowed
• •No more than 2 prior chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease
• •No prior cumulative dose of doxorubicin greater than 240 mg/m\^2
• •No prior cumulative dose of epirubicin greater than 360 mg/m\^2
• •No prior taxanes
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •Prior hormonal therapy as adjuvant treatment or for metastatic disease allowed
• •No concurrent corticosteroids unless started more than 6 months prior to study and at low doses (i.e., no greater than 20 mg methylprednisolone or equivalent)
• •Radiotherapy:
• •Not specified
• •Surgery:
• •Not specified
• •Other:
• •No other concurrent anticancer drugs
• •No other concurrent experimental drugs
• •No concurrent bisphosphonates unless initiated more than 3 months prior to study
• •* Chronic use allowed provided bone metastases are not sole indicator lesions