Nicotine Patches in Reducing Hand-Foot Syndrome in Patients Who Are Receiving Capecitabine For Metastatic Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of breast cancer * Metastatic disease * Scheduled to begin treatment with capecitabine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Cancer Center, San Francisco General Hospital, or Cornell Medical Center * No concurrent hand-foot syndrome (HFS) due to other medications * Prior HFS due to other medications allowed provided that the symptoms have been completely resolved for ≥ 4 weeks prior to study entry * Hormone receptor status not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Menopausal status not specified * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-2 * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 6 months after completion of study therapy * Able to participate in study procedures and quality-of-life evaluations and willing to comply with study requirements * Non-English speaking patients are allowed provided they demonstrate adequate understanding of the study rationale and procedures and can give voluntary consent with the aid of a translator * No clinically significant cardiac or peripheral vascular disease or symptom, including any of the following: * History of myocardial infarction * Congestive heart failure * Cardiac arrhythmias (including atrial fibrillation) * Cardiac or vascular bypass * Uncontrolled hypertension * Unstable angina * Undiagnosed arrhythmias or claudication * No Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disea…