Bendamustine and Erlotinib in Treating Patients With Stage IIIB, Stage IIIC, or Stage IV Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed breast cancer meeting 1 of the following criteria:

  * Unresectable stage IIIB or IIIC disease
  * Stage IV disease
* Must be negative for all of the following:

  * Estrogen receptor (\< 10%)
  * Progesterone receptor (\<10%)
  * HER-2 (negative FISH, IHC 0 - 1+, or IHC +2 with negative FISH)
* Measurable or evaluable disease
* No symptomatic or progressive CNS (central nervous system) metastases

  * Previously treated CNS metastases allowed provided all of the following criteria are met:

    * At least 8 weeks since prior radiation to brain or CNS metastases
    * No concurrent steroids
    * No leptomeningeal disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Menopausal status not specified
* ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status 0-2
* Life expectancy ≥ 6 months
* WBC \> 1,500/mm³
* Platelet count \> 100,000/mm³
* Creatinine clearance \> 40 mL/min
* Normal electrolytes (i.e., Na, K, and Ca normal; minor deviations are allowed if they do not impact on patient safety in the clinical judgment of the treating physician)
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times ULN (≤ 5 times ULN in the presence of documented liver metastases)
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN (≤ 5 times ULN in the presence of liver or bone metastases)
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception
* No uncontrolled intercurrent illness
* No active infection requiring systemic therapy
* Able to swallow oral medications and with no medical problems or prior surgeries that may interfere with the absorption of oral medications including the following:

  * Uncontrolled nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
  * Lack of the physical integrity of the upper gastrointestinal tract
  * Malabsorption syndrome
* No known hypersensitivity to bendamustine hydrochloride, mannitol, or erlotinib hydrochloride
* No prior malignancy in the past 5 years except for adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin carcinoma, or adequately treated stage I-II cancer for which the patient is in complete remission

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* Prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 1 prior chemotherapy regimen in the metastatic setting allowed provided recovered from all acute toxicities
* No prior bendamustine hydrochloride or EGFR-directed therapy
* No other concurrent antineoplastic treatments, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, biological therapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy, and surgery

  * Intravenous bisphosphonates allowed
* No concurrent antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
* No other concurrent investigational agents