Perillyl Alcohol in Preventing Recurrent Breast Cancer in Women Who Have Been Treated With Surgery With or Without Adjuvant Therapy

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Personal history of stage Tis, I, II, or IIIA breast cancer Previously treated with definitive resection with curative intent Hormone receptor status: Not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: Over 18 Sex: Female Menopausal status: Not specified Performance status: ECOG 0-1 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3,000/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hemoglobin at least 9.0 g/dL Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL AST and ALT no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 1.5 times ULN Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.6 mg/dL Other: No known malabsorption syndrome No contraindication to perillyl alcohol No hypersensitivity to citrus or soybean products No non-breast malignancy within the past 2 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ No active malignancy Not pregnant or nursing Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: At least 6 months since prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: Concurrent adjuvant hormonal therapy allowed Radiotherapy: At least 6 months since prior radiotherapy Surgery: See Disease Characteristics At least 6 months since prior surgery At least 2 years since prior primary surgery More than 4 weeks since prior surgery requiring general anesthesia, including breast reconstructive surgery Other: More than 3 months since prior enrollment in a single-dose study of perillyl alcohol More than 3 months since prior enrollment in current study (at a lower dose level) No concurrent vitamin supplements except a daily multivitamin (recommended daily allowance)