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

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