Carboplatin and Nab-Paclitaxel With or Without Vorinostat in Treating Women With Newly Diagnosed Operable Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed infiltrating ductal breast cancer by core needle biopsy

  * Mixed ductal and lobular disease allowed
  * Infiltrating lobular cancer allowed in the run-in portion only
* Unresected, clinically measurable disease, meeting 1 of the following clinical staging criteria:

  * T2, T3, or T4 lesion, any N, M0
  * T1c, N1-3,M0
* Patients with skin metastases to the ipsilateral breast for whom chemotherapy is planned prior to definitive surgery are eligible for the primary study portion
* HER2-negative disease
* Hormone receptor status\* meeting 1 of the following criteria:

  * Estrogen receptor (ER)-negative and progesterone receptor (PR)-negative
  * ER-positive (grade II or III) and PR-positive or PR-negative NOTE: \*Any ER or PR status for the run-in portion

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-1
* Menopausal status not specified
* ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 150,000/mm³
* Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min
* Total bilirubin normal
* AST(SGOT) and ALT(SGPT) ≤ 2.5 times (ULN)
* alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* PT such that INR ≤ 1.5 (or an in-range INR, usually between 2 and 3, if a patient is on a stable dose of therapeutic warfarin) and PTT ≤ ULN
* Adequate cardiac function defined as no evidence of PR prolongation or AV block on baseline electrocardiogram (ECG)
* Willing to use effective, non-hormonal contraception while on treatment and for at least 3 months thereafter
* Not pregnant or nursing
* No pre-existing peripheral neuropathy ≥ grade 2
* No history of severe hypersensitivity reaction to any drug formulated with polysorbate 80 or to E. coli-derived products
* No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to vorinostat
* No medical condition which, in the opinion of the investigator, puts the patient at risk of potentially serious complications while on this therapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* At least 4 weeks since prior valproic acid or other histone deacetylase inhibitor
* No prior chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or endocrine therapy for this cancer

  * Prior tamoxifen or raloxifene or another agent for prevention of breast cancer allowed as long as the patient has discontinued the treatment ≥ 1 month prior to baseline study biopsy
* No systemic treatment for prior cancer within the past 5 years (primary study portion)
* No prior or ongoing systemic treatment for this cancer (primary study portion)
* No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
* No other concurrent histone deacetylase inhibitor
* No other concurrent chemotherapy, antiestrogen therapy, radiotherapy, or other investigational systemic therapy
* No other concurrent biologic therapy
* No other concurrent investigational drugs