DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the breast

  • Stage IV disease
• HER2-negative disease, by fluorescence in situ hybridization
• Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 measurable lesion
• No history of or current CNS or brain metastases

• Hormone receptor status:

  • Not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Sex

• Female

Menopausal status

• Not specified

Performance status

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy

• At least 24 weeks

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
• No evidence of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy

Hepatic

• Bilirubin normal (unless due to Gilbert's disease)

• Meets 1 of the following criteria:

  • Alkaline phosphatase (AP) normal AND AST or ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
  • AP ≤ 2.5 times ULN AND AST or ALT ≤ 1.5 times ULN
  • AP ≤ 5 times ULN AND AST or ALT normal

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL
• Urine protein < 1+ by dipstick urinalysis OR
• Urine protein < 1 g by 24-hour urine collection
• No clinically significant impaired renal function

Cardiovascular

• No uncontrolled hypertension (i.e., blood pressure > 150/100 mm Hg)
• No New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure
• No myocardial infarction or stroke within the past 6 months
• No unstable angina
• No serious cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication
• No clinically significant (≥ grade 2) peripheral vascular disease
• No other clinically significant cardiovascular disease

Gastrointestinal

• No active peptic ulcer disease
• No inflammatory bowel disease
• No other gastrointestinal condition that would increase the risk of perforation
• No abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within the past 4 weeks

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 3 months after completion of study treatment
• No significant traumatic injury within the past 4 weeks
• No neuropathy ≥ grade 2
• No non-healing wound, fracture, or ulcer
• No active uncontrolled infection requiring parenteral antibiotics
• No history of severe hypersensitivity reaction to study drugs or other drugs formulated with polysorbate 80
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except nonmelanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• No other medical or psychiatric disorder that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No prior antiangiogenic agents

Chemotherapy

• Prior adjuvant chemotherapy allowed

  • At least 12 months since prior adjuvant taxane therapy
• No prior chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer

Endocrine therapy

• Prior endocrine therapy for metastatic breast cancer allowed
• At least 4 weeks since prior endocrine therapy
• No concurrent endocrine therapy

Radiotherapy

• At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

• At least 4 weeks since prior major surgical procedure or open biopsy
• More than 1 week since prior minor surgery, fine-needle aspiration, or core biopsy
• No concurrent major surgery

Other

• Recovered from all prior therapy
• At least 4 weeks since prior experimental drug therapy
• No concurrent prophylactic antibiotics
• No concurrent amifostine
• No concurrent dexrazoxane
• No other concurrent investigational agents
• No other concurrent anticancer therapy