Paclitaxel or Docetaxel in Treating Women With Advanced Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically proven metastatic or locally advanced, inoperable adenocarcinoma of the breast

  * Clinically evident metastases (e.g., clearly malignant lesions on chest x-ray or CT or abdominal CT do not require histologic confirmation)
  * Hot spots on bone scan not shown to be malignant on plain x-rays are not adequate evidence of malignant disease in the absence of other lesions
* Must meet 1 of the following conditions:

  * Disease progression after 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for locally advanced or metastatic disease (which may or may not have followed a separate adjuvant regimen using chemotherapy or hormonal therapy)
  * Locally advanced or metastatic disease during or after 1 adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen
  * One of the above chemotherapy regimens must have contained an anthracycline (e.g., doxorubicin, but not mitoxantrone)
  * Single drug substitution (e.g., methotrexate for doxorubicin) during prior combination chemotherapy allowed
* Bidimensionally measurable
* No clinical or radiographic evidence of brain or leptomeningeal disease
* Hormone receptor status:

  * Not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Sex:

* Female

Menopausal status:

* Not specified

Performance status:

* Karnofsky 60-100% OR
* ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

* At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

* Absolute neutrophil count at least 2,000/mm3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin normal
* SGOT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
* No uncontrolled hypercalcemia

Cardiovascular:

* No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
* No history of arrhythmia requiring treatment
* No heart block
* No clinical evidence of congestive heart failure
* No unstable angina (e.g., new onset, crescendo, or rest angina)
* Stable exertional angina allowed

Other:

* No current symptomatic grade 2 or greater peripheral neuropathy
* No history of hypersensitivity to products containing Cremophor EL (e.g., cyclosporine or teniposide) or Polysorbate 80 (e.g., IV etoposide)
* No serious infection
* No significant psychiatric disease that would preclude study
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanomatous skin cancer or completely excised carcinoma in situ of the cervix
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* No prior bone marrow or stem cell transplantation

Chemotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (2 weeks for oral cyclophosphamide or 6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin)
* No prior high-dose chemotherapy given with ablative intent
* No prior taxoids
* No other concurrent antineoplastic therapy

Endocrine therapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* Prior hormonal therapy as adjuvant therapy or for metastatic disease allowed
* At least 1 week since prior hormonal therapy
* No concurrent corticosteroids except:

  * Prophylaxis or treatment for acute hypersensitivity reactions
  * Chronic therapy (more than 6 months) at low doses (20 mg/day or less of methylprednisolone or equivalent)

Radiotherapy:

* At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy to major bone marrow areas
* No prior high-dose radiotherapy given with ablative intent
* No concurrent radiotherapy except limited palliative radiotherapy (e.g., for a solitary rib fracture) during objective response

Surgery:

* See Disease Characteristics
* More than 2 weeks since prior surgery except simple biopsy or placement of venous access device

Other:

* At least 4 weeks since prior investigational drugs
* Concurrent medications known to alter cardiac conduction (e.g., digoxin, beta blockers, or calcium channel blockers) allowed
* No concurrent ketoconazole
* No concurrent bisphosphonates unless initiated more than 3 months before randomization
* No concurrent experimental drug or therapy