LY231514 Plus Gemcitabine in Treating Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed breast cancer with clinical evidence of metastatic disease
• Bidimensionally measurable disease
• * If bisphosphonates used, must have measurable disease site other than bone
• * No bone only disease
• Must have received a prior anthracycline and taxane in the adjuvant and/or metastatic setting
• No clinically significant pericardial effusions, pleural effusions, or ascites unless they can be drained
• No active CNS metastases
• * Treated CNS metastasis that has ben stable for at least 8 weeks allowed
• Hormone receptor status:
• * Not specified
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Sex:
• Female
• Menopausal status:
• Not specified
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• At least 3 months
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST no greater than 3 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver metastases)
• Albumin at least 3.0 g/dL
• Renal:
• Creatinine clearance at least 45 mL/min
• Cardiovascular:
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Able to take folic acid and cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) supplements
• Body surface area less than 3 m\^2
• No uncontrolled infection
• No chronic debilitating disease
• No other prior malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or adequately treated noninvasive carcinomas
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior genetic therapy
• No concurrent immunomodulating agents
• Chemotherapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• No more than 3 prior chemotherapy regimens including adjuvant therapy
• * No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease unless these were a taxane and anthracycline
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy
• No prior gemcitabine and/or pemetrexed disodium
• No other concurrent cytostatic or cytotoxic chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy to greater than 25% of bone marrow
• No prior strontium chloride Sr 89
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery
• Other:
• No aspirin or nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents 2 days before, the day of, and for 2 days after pemetrexed disodium administration (5 days before for long acting agents such as naproxen, piroxicam, diflunisal, or nabumetone)