Temperature-Sensitive Liposomal Doxorubicin and Hyperthermia in Treating Women With Locally Recurrent Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the breast

  * Locally recurrent disease involving the chest wall and/or its overlying skin

    * Clinically and biopsy proven disease on the chest wall area measuring ≥ 1 cm
    * Overall surface extent of tumor ≤ two 16 x 16 cm fields
    * Tumor thickness ≤ 3 cm by clinical exam and CT scan or MRI
    * Disease extent on the chest wall that exceeds the above criteria allowed provided no other local therapies are available
    * Patients with axillary disease involvement only must meet the above criteria in order to be eligible
    * Prior skin changes consistent with inflammatory breast cancer are allowed
* Distant metastasis (excluding known brain metastases) allowed

  * No resectable chest wall recurrence as the only site of metastatic disease
  * No refractory pain secondary to metastatic disease
* Must have undergone prior local radiotherapy to the chest wall or breast in the adjuvant or metastatic setting
* Must have progressed on ≥ 1 course of hormonal therapy for metastatic disease (if tumor is estrogen receptor positive or progesterone receptor positive) AND ≥ 1 course of chemotherapy
* Prior contralateral breast malignancy allowed provided not previously treated with chemotherapy
* Hormone receptor status not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Female
* Menopausal status not specified
* Zubrod performance status 0-1 OR Karnofsky performance status 90-100%
* Not pregnant
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
* Bilirubin normal
* alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50% by multiple gated acquisition scan (MUGA) or echocardiogram
* No nonhealing wounds or active infection in the area of the chest wall
* No clinically significant findings on baseline evaluations, including laboratory and physical examinations, vital signs, and ECG
* No prior sensitivity (e.g., rash, dyspnea, wheezing, urticaria, or other symptoms) attributed to anthracyclines or other liposomally encapsulated drugs
* No other prior or concurrent primary malignancy except for melanoma in situ, nonmelanoma skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, or noninvasive cervical carcinoma
* No history of any of the following:

  * Cardiac ischemia or acute coronary artery syndrome, myocardial infarction (MI), cerebral vascular accident, or abnormal cardiac stress testing within the last 6 months
  * Coronary artery disease (including non-Q wave MI)
  * Uncontrolled hypertension or cardiomyopathy
  * Cardiac valvular surgery or open heart surgery
  * Known structural heart disease
* No other serious medical illness including, but not limited to, the following:

  * Congestive heart failure
  * Life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias
  * Acute or chronic liver disease
* No major psychiatric illness that required inpatient treatment within the past 3 months or that would preclude obtaining informed consent
* No concurrent devices or conditions that might interfere with the hyperthermia portion of the trial, including any of the following:

  * Functioning cardiac pacemaker
  * Metal plates, rods, or prosthesis of the chest wall
  * Severe numbness and/or tingling of the chest wall or breast
  * Skin grafts and/or flaps on the breast or chest wall
  * Unstable cardiovascular or pulmonary status
* No known allergy to eggs or egg products

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* More than 3 months since prior major surgery
* No prior therapy with anthracyclines exceeding the following doses:

  * Doxorubicin hydrochloride \> 450 mg/m\^2
  * Epirubicin hydrochloride \> 900 mg/m\^2
* More than 42 days since prior trastuzumab (Herceptin®)
* More than 90 days since prior radiotherapy to the involved chest wall area
* No other concurrent systemic anticancer therapy, including hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, or investigational anticancer therapy
* No concurrent radiotherapy, including radiotherapy for pain control
* No concurrent administration of any of the following drugs:

  * Amphotericin B by injection
  * Antithyroid agents
  * Azathioprine
  * Chloramphenicol
  * Colchicine
  * Flucytosine
  * Ganciclovir
  * Interferon
  * Plicamycin
  * Zidovudine
  * Sulfinpyrazone
  * Probenecid
  * Cyclosporine
  * Phenobarbital
  * Phenytoin
  * Streptozocin
  * Live vaccines
* Concurrent bisphosphonates for palliation of bony metastasis allowed