Erlotinib and Everolimus in Treating Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the breast
* Evaluable metastatic disease (no need for measurable disease)
* Must have had anthracycline therapy in the adjuvant setting or failed anthracycline treatment in the metastatic setting

  * Total cumulative dose of lifetime exposure of doxorubicin not greater than 360 mg/m\^2 or epirubicin not greater than 640 mg/m\^2
* Must have failed previous taxane (paclitaxel or docetaxel) therapy, defined as:

  * Taxane use in the adjuvant setting with metastatic relapse within 12 months of therapy
  * Progression on taxane therapy in the metastatic setting
  * Discontinuation of taxane therapy in the metastatic setting secondary to lack of resolution of ≥ grade 2 toxicity
* No symptomatic brain metastases

  * Patients with a history of brain metastases are eligible provided they are clinically stable and not taking steroids or therapeutic anticonvulsants that are CYP3A4 modifiers
  * Patients with asymptomatic brain metastasis are eligible provided they are not on prophylactic anticonvulsants that are CYP3A4 modifiers
* Hormone receptor status not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Inclusion criteria

* Menopausal status not specified
* ECOG performance status 0-1
* Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* SGOT and SGPT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* Albumin \> 30 g/L
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 upper limit of normal
* INR normal provided the patient is not on warfarin therapy
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test for premenopausal patients
* Fertile patients must use effective barrier method contraception during and for 3 months after completion of study treatment
* Patients must be disease-free of prior invasive cancers for \> 5 years with the exception of basal cell or squamous cell cancer of the skin or cervical carcinoma in situ

Exclusion criteria

* Serious or non-healing active wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
* Known human immunodeficiency virus positivity
* Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, any of the following

  * Ongoing or active infection requiring parenteral antibiotics
  * Impairment of lung function (COPD, lung conditions requiring oxygen therapy)
  * Symptomatic congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease)
  * Unstable angina pectoris or myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
  * Uncontrolled hypertension (i.e., systolic blood pressure \> 180 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure \> 100 mm Hg, found on two consecutive measurements separated by a 1-week period despite adequate medical support)
  * Clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia (multifocal premature ventricular contractions, bigeminy, trigeminy, ventricular tachycardia that is symptomatic or requires treatment)
  * Uncontrolled diabetes
  * Psychiatric illness/social situations that would compromise patient safety or limit compliance with study requirements including maintenance of a compliance/pill diary

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Inclusion criteria

* See Disease Characteristics
* Prior trastuzumab (Herceptin®) in the first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer is required for patients who have HER2/neu overexpressing tumors
* More than 6 months since prior cardiac angioplasty or stenting
* Use of endocrine therapy (i.e., aromatase inhibitors, fulvestrant, tamoxifen or ovarian ablation) in the first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer is required for patients who have estrogen receptor and or progesterone receptor expressing tumors

  * Concurrent endocrine therapy is not allowed
* Patients may receive concurrent radiotherapy to painful bone metastases or areas of impending bone fracture as long as radiotherapy is initiated prior to study entry

  * Patients who have received prior radiotherapy must have recovered from toxicity induced by this treatment
* More than 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy, biological or hormonal therapy while on protocol therapy.
* No other concurrent antineoplastic or antitumor agents, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or hormonal anticancer therapy

Exclusion criteria

* More than 3 prior chemotherapy treatments in the metastatic setting

  * This restriction does not include endocrine therapies or single agent biologic therapies (i.e., trastuzumab \[Herceptin®\])
* Use of steroids or immunosuppressants
* Use of CYP3A4 modifiers
* Concurrent therapy with trastuzumab (Herceptin®)
* Use of growth support factors (e.g., filgrastim \[G-CSF\], sargramostim \[GM-CSF\], recombinant erythropoietin) during the phase I portion of the study
* Other concurrent investigational agents