PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Sex: Female Menopausal status: Not specified Performance status: Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than upper limit of normal (ULN) SGOT no greater than 3 times ULN Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 5 times ULN No acute hepatitis Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL No uncontrolled hypercalcemia Cardiovascular: No congestive heart failure LVEF normal No angina pectoris No uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmias No other significant heart disease No myocardial infarction within the past year No superior vena cava syndrome No deep vein thrombosis requiring anticoagulant therapy Neurologic: No dementia No seizures No concurrent grade 2 or greater peripheral neuropathy Other: No medical instability No active infection No gastrointestinal bleeding No uncontrolled diabetes No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical conditions or other circumstances that would preclude study No other malignancy within the past 5 years except curatively treated basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix No history of hypersensitivity to polysorbate 80 Not pregnant or nursing Fertile patients must use effective contraception