Inclusion criteria:

          -  DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: histologically confirmed breast cancer, locally advanced or
             metastatic disease, recurrent or refractory disease, histological or cytological
             confirmation required for recurrence in a solitary site

          -  Must have received prior anthracycline and taxane as neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or
             metastatic therapy

          -  At least 1 measurable site of disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable
             lesion ≥ 20 mm by conventional techniques or ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan

          -  Palpable disease allowed, Lesions that have been irradiated in the advanced setting
             cannot be included as sites of measurable disease

          -  No nonmeasurable disease only, including the following:

          -  Bone lesions

          -  Leptomeningeal disease

          -  Ascites

          -  Pleural or pericardial effusion

          -  Inflammatory breast disease

          -  Lymphangitic pulmonary disease

          -  Abdominal masses that are not confirmed and followed by imaging techniques

          -  Cystic lesions

          -  No HER2-positive disease, defined as 3+ by IHC OR positive by FISH or chromogenic in
             situ hybridization

          -  Hormone receptor status not specified

          -  PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

          -  Male or female, Menopausal status not specified, ECOG performance status 0-1,
             Estimated life expectancy ≥ 12 weeks, Not pregnant or nursing, fertile patients must
             use effective contraception during and for 3 months after completion of study therapy

          -  ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³

          -  Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³

          -  Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL

          -  ALT or AST < 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

          -  Bilirubin normal

          -  Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN

          -  Creatinine ≤ 1.25 times ULN OR creatinine clearance > 40 mL/min

          -  Calcium ≤ 1.2 times ULN

          -  No concurrent serious medical or psychiatric illness, including any serious active
             infection incompatible with the study

          -  No other primary malignancy except carcinoma in situ of the cervix, adequately treated
             nonmelanomatous skin cancer, or any other malignancy previously treated ≥ 5 years ago
             with no evidence of recurrence

          -  No peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2

          -  PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY (See Disease Characteristics):

          -  Recovered from prior chemotherapy

          -  Prior hormonal therapy or immunotherapy allowed

          -  Antitumoral hormonal therapy must be discontinued prior to study entry

          -  More than 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

          -  No prior radiotherapy to the whole pelvis or to ≥ 25% of the bone marrow

          -  No prior gemcitabine hydrochloride, cisplatin, or carboplatin

          -  No other cytotoxic chemotherapy for 21 days before and for 14 days after completion of
             study therapy

          -  More than 30 days since prior treatment with a drug (not including study drug) that
             has not received regulatory approval for any indication at the time of study entry

          -  Bisphosphonate therapy may not be initiated or discontinued within 4 weeks of study
             entry

          -  No more than 1 prior course of chemotherapy for metastatic disease

          -  Prior chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting allowed

          -  Concurrent palliative radiotherapy to existing painful lesions (soft tissue or bone)
             allowed

          -  New bone pain requiring radiotherapy > 4 weeks after first study treatment considered
             disease progression

          -  New pain in a soft tissue lesion without other objective changes may be irradiated
             provided ≥ 1 other site of nonirradiated measurable disease exists

          -  No other concurrent anticancer treatment

          -  No concurrent tamoxifen citrate, aromatase inhibitors, or progestagens