Docetaxel in Treating Older Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the breast * Metastatic disease * Measurable disease by CT scan or MRI * Requires first-line chemotherapy for metastatic disease * Hormone receptor status: * Not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 70 and over Sex * Female Menopausal status * Not specified Performance status * Meets both of the following criteria: * Lawton's Instrumental Activities of Daily Living score ≥ 4 * Katz's Activities of Daily Living score ≥ 4 Life expectancy * More than 3 months Hematopoietic * Hemoglobin \> 10 g/dL * Neutrophil count \> 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count \> 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic * ALT and AST \< 1.5 times normal * Bilirubin normal * Alkaline phosphatase \< 2.5 times normal Renal * Creatinine clearance \> 30 mL/min Cardiovascular * No congestive heart failure * No unstable angina pectoris * No myocardial infarction within the past year * No uncontrolled hypertension * No high-risk uncontrolled arrhythmias Other * Geriatric Depression Score \< 12 * No active uncontrolled infection * No active peptic ulcer * No uncontrolled diabetes mellitus * No inflammatory bowel disease * No history of hypersensitivity to docetaxel or drugs formulated with polysorbate 80 * No history of significant neurologic or psychiatric disorders, including psychotic disorders, dementia, or seizures, that would preclude giving informed consent * No familial, social, geographical, or psychological condition that would preclude study follow-up * No definite contraindication to corticosteroids * No other serious illness or medical condition * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy * No prior or concurrent trastuzumab (Herceptin\^®) Chemotherapy * Prior neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer allowed * More than 2 years since prior docetaxel or paclitaxel * No other concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy * No more than 1 prior hormonal therapy regimen for metastatic disease * At least 10 days since prior hormonal therapy * No concurrent hormonal therapy * No concurrent chronic corticosteroids * Concurrent low-dose corticosteroids (≤ 20 mg/day of methylprednisolone or equivalent) allowed provided treatment was initiated \> 6 months before study entry Radiotherapy * Not specified Surgery * Not specified Other * More than 30 days since prior active treatment on another clinical trial * Concurrent bisphosphonates allowed for bone metastases, osteoporosis, or osteopenia * No other concurrent anticancer therapy * No other concurrent investigational drugs