3-AP and Gemcitabine in Treating Patients With Refractory Metastatic Breast Cancer

You may be eligible if

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed breast cancer
• * Refractory metastatic disease
• Measurable disease
• * At least 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan
• Must have received 1, and only 1, prior chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease
• Patients overexpressing HER2/neu antigen must have received a prior trastuzumab (Herceptin®)-containing regimen
• No known brain metastases
• Hormone receptor status:
• * Not specified
• Male or female
• Performance status - ECOG 0-2
• At least 12 weeks
• WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
• Bilirubin normal
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• Creatinine normal
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
• No uncontrolled congestive heart failure
• No unstable angina pectoris
• No cardiac arrhythmia
• No severe pulmonary disease requiring oxygen
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency
• No other uncontrolled illness
• No active or ongoing infection
• No history of allergic reaction attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biological composition to 3-AP (Triapine®) or other study agents
• No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study compliance
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years
• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent immunotherapy
• No concurrent routine colony-stimulating factors (e.g., filgrastim \[G-CSF\] or sargramostim \[GM-CSF\])
• See Disease Characteristics
• More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
• No prior gemcitabine for metastatic disease
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior hormonal therapy
• More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy
• Recovered from prior therapy
• No concurrent antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No other concurrent investigational therapy