Inclusion Criteria:

- female patients >= 18 years of age;

- HER2 negative cancer of the breast with locally recurrent or metastatic disease,
suitable for chemotherapy;

- no adjuvant chemotherapy within 6 months before randomization, and no taxane-based
chemotherapy within 12 months before randomization;

- ECOG performance status 0-1.

Exclusion Criteria:

- previous chemotherapy for metastatic or locally recurrent breast cancer;

- radiotherapy for treatment of metastatic disease;

- other primary tumors within last 5 years, except for controlled limited basal cell or
squamous cancer of the skin, or cancer in situ of the cervix;

- spinal cord compression or brain metastases;

- major surgical procedure, open biopsy or significant traumatic injury within 28 days
prior to randomization;

- inadequate bone marrow, liver or renal function;

- uncontrolled hypertension.