PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Not specified Menopausal status: Not specified Sex: Female Performance status: Not specified Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Not specified Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.25 times upper limit of normal (ULN) SGOT and SGPT no greater than 2 times ULN (no greater than 5 times ULN with liver metastases) Renal: Not specified Cardiovascular: Ejection fraction within normal range No history of cardiac disease including myocardial infarction, cardiac failure and angina Other: Not pregnant No prior or concurrent malignancy that is likely to interfere with protocol treatments or comparisons