PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Over 18 Sex: Female Menopausal status: Not specified Performance status: ECOG 0 or 1 Hematopoietic: Absolute neutrophil count greater than 1,500/mm3 Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm3 Hemoglobin greater than 9 g/dL PT and aPTT normal Hepatic: Bilirubin normal (unless benign congenital hyperbilirubinemia) Normal liver biopsy required in patients with active hepatitis B or C Renal: Creatinine normal Cardiovascular: No active heart disease Normal wall motion on MUGA or echocardiogram Other: Adequate nutritional status (i.e., more than 1,000 calories/day orally) HIV negative No serious medical or psychiatric disease No second malignancy except: Basal cell skin cancer Carinoma in situ of the cervix Not pregnant Negative pregnancy test