Statement: A Female patients with a mastectomy would be excluded from the primary trial.
Primary_evidence: DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:   History of histologically confirmed breast cancer, meeting 1 of the following staging criteria:   Ductal carcinoma in situ   Stage I-III invasive breast cancer   At least 3 months since completion of all intended local and systemic therapy, including mastectomy or lumpectomy with or without radiotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy, and/or endocrine therapy   May have declined recommended treatment provided all treatment intended/agreed upon by the patient and treating physician was completed  3 months ago   At least 1 healthy intact breast   No prior radiotherapy or mastectomy   Prior biopsies allowed   Any hormone-receptor status   PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:   Female   Pre- or post-menopausal   ECOG performance status 0-2   Not pregnant or nursing   Negative pregnancy test   Fertile patients must use effective nonhormonal contraception   No active liver disease   AST and ALT  3 times upper limit of normal   Creatinine clearance  30 mL/min   No prior hypersensitivity to any 3-hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor or any of its components   No other concurrent infectious, inflammatory, or autoimmune diseases (at the discretion of principal investigator)   PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:   See Disease Characteristics   No daily alcohol use > 3 standard drinks per day   Standard drink defined as 10 grams of alcohol, which is equivalent to 285 mL of beer, 530 mL of light beer, 100 mL of wine, or 30 mL of liquor   No selective estrogen receptor modulator or aromatase inhibitor within the past 3 months   No hormone replacement therapy (HRT) within the past 3 months   No prior estrogen and/or progesterone HRT  5 years in duration   Vaginal estrogen preparations allowed   No concurrent HRT   No other cholesterol-lowering drug, including a statin, within the past 3 months   No concurrent itraconazole, ketoconazole, nefazodone, cyclosporine, HIV protease inhibitors, clarithromycin, erythromycin, mibefradil, carbamazepine, bosentan, chaparral, amiodarone, or verapamil   No concurrent daily grapefruit juice consumption > 8 ounces per day   No other concurrent agents or therapies intended to treat or prevent in situ or invasive breast cancer