DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed invasive breast cancer

  • Clinical evidence of metastatic disease

    • No bone metastases or other non-measurable disease as the only evidence of metastasis

• Measurable disease, defined as at least 1 measurable lesion

  • The following are considered non-measurable disease:

    • Small lesions (< 2 cm)
    • Bone lesions
    • Leptomeningeal disease
    • Ascites
    • Pleural or pericardial effusions
    • Inflammatory breast disease
    • Lymphangitis cutis or pulmonis
    • Abdominal masses that are not confirmed and followed by imaging techniques
    • Cystic lesions
• HER2-positive disease allowed provided patient has received prior treatment with trastuzumab
• No evidence of active brain metastasis, including leptomeningeal involvement

• 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 12 weeks

Hematopoietic

• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL

Hepatic

• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

Other

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 30 days after completion of study treatment
• No pre-existing peripheral neuropathy > grade 1
• No other clinically significant illness or significant medical condition that would preclude study participation
• No history of allergy or hypersensitivity to paclitaxel protein-bound particles in an injectable suspension, paclitaxel, gemcitabine, albumin, drug product excipients, or agents that are chemically similar to study drugs
• No serious medical risk factors involving any of the major organ systems that would preclude study participation
• No active stage III or IV invasive non-breast malignancy within the past 5 years

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• See Disease Characteristics

Chemotherapy

• No more than 1 prior adjuvant chemotherapy regimen
• No prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease
• At least 6 months since prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant taxane
• More than 2 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy
• Prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy allowed
• No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• Prior hormonal treatment as adjuvant therapy or for metastatic disease allowed

Radiotherapy

• Prior radiotherapy to target lesion allowed provided there is evidence of disease progression after completion of treatment
• More than 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy, except radiotherapy to a non-target lesion only or single-dose palliative radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery

• Not specified

Other

• More than 2 weeks since prior investigational drugs
• No concurrent participation in another clinical trial that is studying investigational procedures or therapies
• Concurrent bisphosphonates (e.g., pamidronate or zoledronate) allowed for palliation of pain or lytic lesions from breast cancer