Nilotinib in Preventing Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients With Stage I-III Breast Cancer

Inclusion Criteria:

* Men or Women with a known diagnosis of breast cancer stages I-III.
* Be eligible for weekly or dose dense single agent paclitaxel therapy based on physician assessment.
* Have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =\< 2

  * Patients with ECOG scores of 3 or greater typically do not receive chemotherapeutic intervention.
* Leukocytes \>= 2,000/uL.
* Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/uL.
* Platelets \>= 100,000/uL.
* Total bilirubin =\< upper limit of normal (ULN).
* Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase \[SGPT\]) =\< 2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal.
* Creatinine within normal institutional limits OR \>= 50 mL/min for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal.
* Corrected QT interval (QTc) \< 450 milliseconds.
* If a female subject is with child bearing potential, she must have a negative pregnancy test at screening.
* Female subjects of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation and for 3 months after completion of study treatment administration. Adequate contraception includes methods such as oral contraceptives, double barrier method (condom plus spermicide or diaphragm), or abstaining from sexual intercourse.
* Be willing and able to understand and sign the written informed consent document.
* Demonstrate adequate electrolyte values as defined below. Hypokalemia and/or hypomagnesemia must be corrected prior to initiating nilotinib:

  * Calcium 8.6-10.5mg/dL
  * Magnesium 1.6-2.6mg/dL

Exclusion Criteria:

* Known distant metastatic disease.
* Is HER2+ and is receiving paclitaxel in conjunction with trastuzumab +/- pertuzumab.
* Has experienced \> grade 1 neuropathy during previous therapies for early stage breast cancer.
* Has experienced prior treatment-related toxicities that have not recovered to grade 1 or less (except for alopecia).
* Has a history of grade 3-4 immediate hypersensitivity reaction to paclitaxel.
* Has a history of clinically significant allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to nilotinib or paclitaxel.
* Has uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements.
* Is currently pregnant or breast feeding as there is an unknown but potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with nilotinib and paclitaxel.
* Has any other medical or psychiatric condition that in the opinion of the investigator would make the study therapy unsafe for the patient.
* Has gastrointestinal (GI) disorders or impairment of GI function that is likely to significantly alter the absorption of nilotinib
* Has a marked baseline abnormal heart rhythm such as prolongation of QT/QTc interval (e.g., repeated demonstration of a QTc of \> 450msec)
* Has a history of additional risk factors for TdP (e.g., heart failure, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, family history of Long QT Syndrome)
* Uses potent CYP3A4 inhibitors (grapefruit juice, cyclosporine, ketoconazole, ritonavir) and if treatment cannot be either safely discontinued or switched to a different medication prior to starting nilotinib.
* Has a known diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and is currently taking combination antiretroviral therapy known or suspected to affect paclitaxel pharmacokinetics (PK).
* Is concurrently using potent OATP1B1 inhibitors, including antibiotics (rifampicin, rifamycin SV, systemic fusidic acid, clarithromycin, erythromycin, roxithromycin, telithromycin), antiretrovirals (indinavir, saquinavir, ritonavir), cyclosporine, and gemfibrozil.