OUTLINE: Patients are stratified according to whether they have received prior taxane therapy (yes vs no). Patients receive bcl-2 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide G3139 IV continuously on days 1-6 followed by 2 weeks of rest. Paclitaxel IV is administered over 3 hours on day 6 of each course. Treatment continues for a minimum of 2 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Intrapatient dose escalation is allowed. Patients are followed until death.