Oxaliplatin in Treating Women With Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer That Has Not Responded to Previous Chemotherapy

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed advanced or metastatic breast cancer
* Bidimensionally measurable disease

  * At least one lesion at least 2 cm in one dimension by CT scan or MRI
* Must have failed prior anthracycline/taxane based chemotherapy as defined by one of the following:

  * Stage IV disease treated with anthracycline/taxane combination as first line therapy for advanced or metastatic disease
  * Stage IV disease treated with first line anthracycline therapy and second line taxane therapy for advanced or metastatic disease
  * Any adjuvant treatment other than anthracycline based therapy followed by anthracycline/taxane combination as first line therapy for advanced or metastatic disease
  * Any adjuvant therapy other than anthracycline based therapy followed by first line anthracycline based therapy and second line taxane based therapy for advanced or metastatic disease
  * Adjuvant anthracycline based therapy followed by relapse after 6 months treated with anthracycline/taxane combination as first line therapy or first line anthracycline based therapy and second line taxane based therapy for advanced or metastatic disease
  * Adjuvant anthracycline based therapy followed by relapse within 6 months treated with first line taxane based therapy for advanced or metastatic disease
* Disease progression within 6 months of last taxane based chemotherapy
* No brain metastases
* Hormonal receptor status:

  * Not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Sex:

* Female

Menopausal status:

* Not specified

Performance status:

* WHO 0-2

Life expectancy:

* At least 3 months

Hematopoietic:

* Absolute neutrophil count greater than 2,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm\^3

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Alkaline phosphatase and transaminases no greater than 2.5 times ULN (no greater than 5 times ULN in case of liver metastases)

Renal:

* Creatinine less than 1.25 times ULN

Cardiovascular:

* LVEF at least 50% if prior total dose of doxorubicin 550 mg/m2 or greater, epirubicin 900 mg/m2 or greater, or pirarubicin 700 mg/m2 or greater
* No prior or active congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, or angina
* No uncontrolled hypertension or arrhythmia

Other:

* No unstable systemic disease
* No active infection
* No grade 2 or greater peripheral neuropathy
* No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition that would preclude study

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* No prior high dose chemotherapy with hematopoietic rescue
* No concurrent immunotherapy
* No concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF) for prevention of neutropenia

Chemotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy
* At least 1 prior taxane based chemotherapy for advanced or metastatic disease
* No prior high dose chemotherapy with hematopoietic rescue
* No prior platinum based chemotherapy
* No prior taxane chemotherapy other than docetaxel or paclitaxel
* No prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy with taxane/anthracycline based combination chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* No concurrent steroids except in case of allergy prevention, emesis prophylaxis, or long term treatment for more than 3 months prior to study
* No concurrent hormonal anticancer therapy

Radiotherapy:

* No prior radiotherapy to study site unless evidence of disease progression
* Concurrent local radiotherapy allowed for pain relief

Surgery:

* At least 4 weeks since prior major surgery

Other:

* At least 4 weeks since prior anticancer and/or investigational drug
* No concurrent bisphosphonates unless started at least 2 months prior to study
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy
* No other concurrent experimental drugs