PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Karnofsky 70-100% Sex: Female Menopausal status: Not specified Life expectancy: At least 24 weeks Hematopoietic: Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL (transfusion-independent) Prothrombin time or activated partial thromboplastin time no greater than 1.25 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times normal ALT or AST no greater than 2.5 times ULN (ALT and AST no greater than 5 times ULN in the presence of liver metastases) Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.5 ULN Other: No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated nonmelanomatous cancer of the skin or carcinoma in situ of the cervix