BMS-247550 in Treating Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic breast carcinoma

  * Stage IV or recurrent disease with distant metastases
* Most recent prior chemotherapy was docetaxel-based or paclitaxel-based therapy for metastatic disease

  * Progressed during therapy or within 4 months of last dose OR
  * Progressed during therapy or within 6 months of last dose if given as adjuvant treatment only
* Received prior anthracycline therapy
* Bidimensionally measurable metastatic lesion

  * Bony lesions not considered measurable
* No known brain metastases
* Hormone receptor status:

  * Not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Menopausal status:

* Not specified

Sex:

* Female

Performance status:

* ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

* At least 12 weeks

Hematopoietic:

* Absolute neutrophil count at least 2,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count greater than 125,000/mm\^3

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* ALT no greater than 2.5 times ULN (5 times ULN if hepatic metastases are present)

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular:

* No unstable angina, myocardial infarction, or congestive heart failure within the past 6 months

Other:

* No grade 2 or greater neuropathy (motor or sensory)
* No uncontrolled infection or other medical illness that would preclude study
* No psychiatric disorder or other condition that would preclude study
* No other malignancy within the past 2 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
* No hypersensitivity to agents containing Cremophor EL
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* At least 24 hours since prior growth factor
* No concurrent trastuzumab (Herceptin)
* No concurrent immunotherapy

Chemotherapy:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease except an anthracycline-containing regimen as first-line therapy and a taxane as second-line therapy
* No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* No concurrent hormonal therapy (except hormone replacement therapy)

Radiotherapy:

* At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy, except palliative radiotherapy to less than 20% of the bone marrow, and recovered
* No prior radiotherapy to major bone marrow-containing areas (pelvis and lumbar spine)
* No prior radiotherapy to target lesion if only measurable lesion
* No concurrent therapeutic radiotherapy

Surgery:

* At least 1 week since prior minor surgery
* At least 3 weeks since prior major surgery
* Recovered from prior surgery

Other:

* Recovered from all prior treatment-related toxic effects (alopecia allowed)
* No other concurrent experimental anticancer medications