DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed breast cancer

  • Recurrent or metastatic (stage IV) disease

    • Patients with a local regional recurrence, including axillary and/or chest wall involvement, are eligible
• Measurable or non-measurable disease
• Brain metastases allowed provided they have been treated with surgery or radiotherapy AND have remained stable for ≥ 3 months

• Hormone receptor status:

  • Estrogen receptor- OR progesterone receptor- positive disease by standard immunohistochemical techniques

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Sex

• Male

Performance status

• Zubrod 0-2

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Not specified

Hepatic

• No evidence of severe or uncontrolled hepatic disease

Renal

• No evidence of severe or uncontrolled renal disease

Cardiovascular

• No evidence of severe or uncontrolled cardiac disease

Pulmonary

• No evidence of severe or uncontrolled respiratory disease

Other

• Fertile patients must use effective barrier-method contraception during and for 12 weeks after the completion of study treatment
• No known HIV positivity

• Able to receive oral medication

  • Patients with a gastrointestinal tube are eligible
• No known hypersensitivity to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH), LHRH agonist analogues, or any components of the study drugs
• No active infection requiring systemic therapy
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
• No evidence of other severe or uncontrolled systemic disease

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No concurrent prophylactic filgrastim (G-CSF) or other hematopoietic growth factors

Chemotherapy

• At least 14 days since prior chemotherapy for this cancer and recovered
• No more than 1 prior chemotherapy regimen for metastatic disease
• No concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• At least 14 days since prior hormonal therapy for this cancer and recovered
• Prior tamoxifen allowed
• No prior gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist, aromatase inhibitors, or fulvestrant
• No other concurrent hormonal therapy (e.g., estrogen-based therapies)

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 14 days since prior radiotherapy for this cancer and recovered
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics