Trastuzumab, Ixabepilone, and Carboplatin in Treating Patients With HER2/Neu-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the response rate (as determined by RECIST criteria) to combination therapy with Ixabepilone (BMS-247550), trastuzumab, and carboplatin in patients with metastatic breast cancer known to overexpress HER2. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine time to disease progression (TTP) and time to treatment failure (TTF) after treatment with Ixabepilone (BMS-247550), trastuzumab and carboplatin in patients with metastatic breast cancer known to overexpress HER2. II. To determine the toxicity of combination therapy with Ixabepilone (BMS-247550), trastuzumab and carboplatin in patients with metastatic breast cancer known to overexpress HER2. III. To evaluate overall survival (OS) of combination therapy with Ixabepilone (BMS-247550), trastuzumab, and carboplatin in patients with metastatic breast cancer known to overexpress HER2. IV. To correlate levels of phospho-STAT3 with levels of HER2, Survivin and EGFR expression as measured in tissue by immunohistochemistry. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Induction therapy: Patients receive trastuzumab (Herceptin®) IV over 30 minutes\* on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 and ixabepilone IV over 1 hour and carboplatin IV over 1 hour on days 1, 8, and 15. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 6 courses in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. NOTE: \*Trastuzumab is given over 90 minutes on day 1 of course 1 (induction therapy) only. Maintenance therapy: Patients receive trastuzumab IV over 90 minutes on day 1. Courses repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for 3 years from study entry. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 10-60 patients will be accrued for this study within 1-6 months.