Radiation Therapy With or Without Temozolomide in Treating Women With Brain Metastases and Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of breast cancer

  • Unresectable disease or patient refused surgery
• Must have brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• WHO performance status 0-2
• ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Liver transaminases ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Creatinine < 1.5 times ULN
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No carcinomatous meningitis
• No history of cancer except for basal cell carcinoma of the skin or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No other serious concurrent disease that is, in the opinion of the investigator, likely to interfere with study evaluation and treatment
• No contraindications to treatment with temozolomide
• No psychological, familial, social, or geographic situations that preclude clinical follow up
• No patient deprived of liberty or under guardianship

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• No prior brain radiotherapy
• At least 10 days since prior chemotherapy