Inclusion Criteria

Criteria:

- History of histologically confirmed stage I, II, or III breast carcinoma without
evidence of disease at study entry

- No evidence of recurrent disease (patients with resected local recurrence are
eligible)

- Normal mammogram of the contralateral breast within the past 12 months, defined as no
new suspicious calcifications or other abnormal findings warranting a breast biopsy

- No history of histologically confirmed bilateral breast cancer

- No evidence of metastatic breast cancer

- Registered in the outpatient medical oncology clinic at Columbia University Medical
Center (CUMC), MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center (MSKCC), or the Weill-Cornell campus of New York Presbyterian Hospital
(NYP-WC)

- Hormone receptor status: Estrogen- and progesterone-receptor negative

- Menopausal status: Pre- or postmenopausal

- ECOG performance status < 2 (Karnofsky > 60%)

- Leukocytes >= 3,000/uL

- Absolute neutrophil count >= 1,500/uL

- Platelets >= 100,000/uL

- Total bilirubin within normal institutional limits

- AST/ALT =< 2.5 times institutional upper limit of normal

- Serum creatinine within normal institutional limits

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Women of child-bearing potential must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal
or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the
duration of study participation

- No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or
biologic composition to green tea extract (Polyphenon E), such as green tea food
products or supplements containing EGCG

- No history of gastrointestinal bleeding including, but not limited to, any of the
following: Diverticulosis; Peptic ulcer disease; Erosive gastritis; Varices

- No uncontrolled or significant co-morbid illness including, but not limited to, any
of the following: active or serious infection requiring intravenous antibiotics;
symptomatic congestive heart failure; unstable angina pectoris; cardiac arrhythmia;
active gastrointestinal bleeding; active liver disease; psychiatric illness/social
situations that would limit compliance with study requirements

- No active malignancy, except for squamous cell carcinoma of the skin; basal cell
carcinoma of the skin; carcinoma in situ; stage IA or IB invasive squamous cell
carcinoma of the cervix treated by surgery and/or radiation therapy; or stage IA
grade 1 adenocarcinoma of the endometrium treated by surgery

- At least 6 months since prior chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or breast surgery

- No prior radiation therapy or implant in the contralateral breast

- More than 30 days since prior and no concurrent medications, herbs, or vitamin and
mineral supplements that contain tea compounds or caffeine

- At least 30 days since prior and no other concurrent investigational agents

- At least 30 days since prior and no concurrent tea consumption

- Willing to limit regular coffee consumption to =< three 8-ounce cups per day for 30
days prior to baseline evaluation and during the study intervention

- Total daily caffeine consumption should not exceed 375 mg/day

- No concurrent hormone replacement therapy, tamoxifen, or raloxifene

- Concurrent oral contraceptives allowed provided the dose has not been changed for at
least 6 months prior to study entry

- No concurrent chemotherapy or radiation therapy