Paclitaxel With or Without Bevacizumab in Treating Patients With Locally Recurrent or Metastatic Breast Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the breast
• Locally recurrent disease that is not amenable to surgical resection with curative intent OR
• Metastatic disease
• No HER-2-overexpressing (3+) breast cancer unless previously treated with trastuzumab (Herceptin)
• * Unknown HER-2 status allowed provided herceptin-based therapy inappropriate or not indicated
• No prior or radiologic evidence of CNS metastases, including previously treated, resected, or asymptomatic brain lesions or leptomeningeal involvement by head CT scan or MRI
• Hormone receptor status:
• * Not specified
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 18 and over
• Sex:
• Male or female
• Menopausal status:
• Not specified
• Performance status:
• ECOG 0-1
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• No prior bleeding diathesis
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• SGOT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (5 times ULN for known liver involvement)
• PT/PTT no greater than 1.5 times normal
• INR no greater than 1.5 times normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• No proteinuria by dipstick urinalysis
• Trace proteinuria allowed
• Proteinuria less than 500 mg by 24-hour urine collection if proteinuria at least 1+ by urinalysis
• Cardiovascular:
• No clinically significant cardiovascular disease
• No myocardial infarction within the past 12 months
• No unstable angina
• No prior deep vein thrombosis
• No grade 2 or greater peripheral vascular disease
• No uncontrolled congestive heart failure
• No uncontrolled hypertension (systolic blood pressure greater than 170 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure greater than 95 mm Hg)
• No prior cerebrovascular accident
• Pulmonary:
• No prior pulmonary embolism
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective non-hormonal contraception
• No history of seizures
• No non-healing wound or fracture
• No hypersensitivity to paclitaxel, Cremophor EL, Chinese hamster ovary cell products, or other recombinant human antibodies
• No active infection requiring parenteral antibiotics
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• See Disease Characteristics
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior chemotherapy for locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer
• At least 12 months since prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant taxane therapy
• At least 3 weeks since prior adjuvant chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• At least 3 weeks since prior hormonal therapy for locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer
• Radiotherapy:
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• No prior radiotherapy to only site of disease
• No concurrent local radiotherapy for pain control or life-threatening situations (e.g, superior vena cava syndrome, spinal cord compression, or CNS metastases)
• Surgery:
• At least 4 weeks since prior major surgical procedure except placement of vascular access device or breast biopsy
• At least 7 days since prior minor surgical procedure, including placement of an access device or fine needle aspiration
• Other:
• At least 10 days since prior anticoagulant therapy (low-dose anticoagulant therapy to maintain patency of a vascular access device allowed)
• At least 10 days since prior and no concurrent daily aspirin (more than 325 mg/day) or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication known to inhibit platelet function
• No concurrent dipyridamole, ticlopidine, clopidogrel, or cilostazol