Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically proven progressive metastatic breast cancer
• Measurable disease
• * Any lesion measurable in 2 dimensions
• * Hepatic metastases if the sum of the measurements below the costal margin in the midclavicular line and the tip to the xiphoid process is greater than 5 cm during quiet respiration
• * Hepatic defects that are clearly measurable by radionuclide, CAT, or MRI scans
• * Bone metastases are not considered measurable disease
• * Evaluable disease allowed if measurable disease also present
• No brain metastases, carcinomatous meningitis, or spinal cord compression
• Hormone receptor status:
• * Not specified
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• Not specified
• Menopausal status:
• Not specified
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• At least 3 months
• Hematopoietic:
• Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL
• WBC at least 4,000/mm3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• No bladder outlet obstruction
• Cardiovascular:
• No symptomatic cardiovascular disease (e.g., congestive heart disease) or inability to tolerate a fluid load
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No active infection
• No prior malignancies except adequately treated basal or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• No greater than 1 prior biologic response modifier treatment for metastatic disease
• Chemotherapy:
• No greater than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease allowed
• Patients who relapsed during or within 6 months after adjuvant chemotherapy are considered to have failed 1 regimen
• Patients who relapsed more than 6 months after adjuvant chemotherapy are considered to not have had a prior regimen
• Greater than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (greater than 6 weeks for mitomycin or nitrosoureas) and recovered
• No prior cisplatin, etoposide, or ifosfamide
• Endocrine therapy:
• Prior medical or surgical hormonal therapy allowed
• Radiotherapy:
• Prior radiation therapy to areas of measurable disease allowed if indicator lesion increased in size by greater than 25% after treatment
• Recovered from effects of prior radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• Recovered from effects of major surgery
• Other:
• At least 7 days since prior nephrotoxic drugs (e.g., aminoglycosides, diuretics, lithium, intravenous contrast, or nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs)