EGb761 in Maintaining Mental Clarity in Women Receiving Chemotherapy for Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

Newly diagnosed breast cancer
Planned standard doses of adjuvant chemotherapy with or without a taxane

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

18 and over

Sex

Female

Menopausal status

Any status

Performance status

Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-1

Life expectancy

At least 6 months

Hematopoietic

No bleeding diathesis

Hepatic

serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) 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 1.5 times ULN

Cardiovascular

No arterial vascular disease

Other

Able to complete questionnaires alone or with assistance
No diabetes
No dementia
No diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder within the past 5 years that would preclude study compliance
No other significant comorbidity
No known allergy to ginkgo biloba
Not pregnant or nursing
Negative pregnancy test
Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

No concurrent stem cell transplantation

Chemotherapy

No concurrent high-dose chemotherapy

Other

More than 6 months since prior EGb761

No concurrent antithrombotic therapy (e.g., daily aspirin or anticoagulants)

Anticoagulants used for central or peripheral line maintenance (i.e., warfarin 1 mg/day or heparin flushes) allowed
No concurrent dose-intensive regimens
No concurrent aspirin or aspirin-like medicines (e.g., indomethacin, ibuprofen, or some antihistamines or heparin or warfarin [except as used above])
No concurrent regimen expected to cause thrombocytopenia
No concurrent trazodone, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or thiazide diuretics (e.g., chlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide, indapamide, or metolazone)