Gene Therapy in Treating Women With Metastatic Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic adenocarcinoma of the breast * Malignant disease in the skin, chest wall, or other sites (lymph nodes or primary tumor in the breast) accessible to percutaneous needle placement and injection * Solitary or multiple tumors * Measurable disease in ≥ 2 dimensions by physical examination or CT/MRI scan * Malignant tumors in the skin and chest wall must be ≥ 4 mm in diameter by physical examination * Malignant tumors in other accessible sites must be ≥ 1 cm in diameter on physical examination * Malignant disease in other organs (in addition to skin or chest wall metastases) allowed * Hormone receptor status not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Menopausal status not specified * Karnofsky performance status 70-100% * Life expectancy ≥ 16 weeks * Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 mg/dL * PT normal * Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 45 mL/min * Serum total bilirubin ≤ 2.0 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Serum transaminases ≤ 2.5 times ULN * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Weight ≥ 30 kg (for patients treated with the highest dose level of study drug) * No active infection or concurrent serious medical illness * No HIV positivity * No other malignancy within the past 5 years except for the following: * Inactive nonmelanoma skin cancer * In situ carcinoma of the cervix * Grade 1 papillary bladder cancer PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) * No anticoagulant therapy with heparin or warfarin for ≥ 2 months after completion of study treatment