Temperature-Sensitive Liposomal Doxorubicin and Hyperthermia in Treating Women With Locally Recurrent Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the breast * Locally recurrent disease involving the chest wall and/or its overlying skin * Clinically and biopsy proven disease on the chest wall area measuring ≥ 1 cm * Overall surface extent of tumor ≤ two 16 x 16 cm fields * Tumor thickness ≤ 3 cm by clinical exam and CT scan or MRI * Disease extent on the chest wall that exceeds the above criteria allowed provided no other local therapies are available * Patients with axillary disease involvement only must meet the above criteria in order to be eligible * Prior skin changes consistent with inflammatory breast cancer are allowed * Distant metastasis (excluding known brain metastases) allowed * No resectable chest wall recurrence as the only site of metastatic disease * No refractory pain secondary to metastatic disease * Must have undergone prior local radiotherapy to the chest wall or breast in the adjuvant or metastatic setting * Must have progressed on ≥ 1 course of hormonal therapy for metastatic disease (if tumor is estrogen receptor positive or progesterone receptor positive) AND ≥ 1 course of chemotherapy * Prior contralateral breast malignancy allowed provided not previously treated with chemotherapy * Hormone receptor status not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Female * Menopausal status not specified * Zubrod performance status 0-1 OR Karnofsky performance status 90-100% * Not pregnant * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL * Bilirubin normal * alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN * left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50% by multiple gated acquisition scan (MUGA) or echocardiogram * No nonhealing wounds or active infection in the area of the chest wall * No clinically significant findings on baseline evaluations, including laboratory and physical examinations, vital signs, and ECG * No prior sensitivity (e.g., rash, dyspnea, wheezing, urticaria, or other symptoms) attributed to anthracyclines or other liposomally encapsulated drugs * No other prior or concurrent primary malignancy except for melanoma in situ, nonmelanoma skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, or noninvasive cervical carcinoma * No history of any of the following: * Cardiac ischemia or acute coronary artery syndrome, myocardial infarction (MI), cerebral vascular accident, or abnormal cardiac stress testing within the last 6 months * Coronary artery disease (including non-Q wave MI) * Uncontrolled hypertension or cardiomyopathy * Cardiac valvular surgery or open heart surgery * Known structural heart disease * No other serious medical illness including, but not limited to, the following: * Congestive heart failure * Life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias * Acute or chronic liver disease * No major psychiatric illness that required inpatient treatment within the past 3 months or that would preclude obtaining informed consent * No concurrent devices or conditions that might interfere with the hyperthermia portion of the trial, including any of the following: * Functioning cardiac pacemaker * Metal plates, rods, or prosthesis of the chest wall * Severe numbness and/or tingling of the chest wall or breast * Skin grafts and/or flaps on the breast or chest wall * Unstable cardiovascular or pulmonary status * No known allergy to eggs or egg products PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * See Disease Characteristics * More than 3 months since prior major surgery * No prior therapy with anthracyclines exceeding the following doses: * Doxorubicin hydrochloride \> 450 mg/m\^2 * Epirubicin hydrochloride \> 900 mg/m\^2 * More than 42 days since prior trastuzumab (Herceptin®) * More than 90 days since prior radiotherapy to the involved chest wall area * No other concurrent systemic anticancer therapy, including hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, or investigational anticancer therapy * No concurrent radiotherapy, including radiotherapy for pain control * No concurrent administration of any of the following drugs: * Amphotericin B by injection * Antithyroid agents * Azathioprine * Chloramphenicol * Colchicine * Flucytosine * Ganciclovir * Interferon * Plicamycin * Zidovudine * Sulfinpyrazone * Probenecid * Cyclosporine * Phenobarbital * Phenytoin * Streptozocin * Live vaccines * Concurrent bisphosphonates for palliation of bony metastasis allowed