PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 70 and under Sex: Women only Menopausal status: Peri/postmenopausal, i.e.: More than 6 months since last normal menstrual period (LNMP) with no prior hysterectomy and no hormone replacement therapy (HRT) Prior hysterectomy and no HRT and either age greater than 55 or age 55 or less with postmenopausal LH, FSH, and E2 levels On HRT and either age 50 or greater or LNMP more than 6 months prior to starting HRT Performance status: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC greater than 4,000 Platelets greater than 100,000 Hepatic: Bilirubin less than 1.1 mg/dL (20 micromoles/L) AST less than 60 IU/L Renal: Creatinine less than 1.3 mg/dL (120 micromoles/L) Other: No nonmalignant systemic disease that would preclude protocol therapy or prolonged follow-up No psychiatric or addictive disorder that would preclude informed consent No prior or concurrent second malignancy except: Nonmelanomatous skin cancer Adequately treated in situ carcinoma of the cervix Geographically accessible for follow-up