Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Cytologically or histologically confirmed breast cancer

- Metastatic OR locally recurrent disease

- Unresectable disease

- Not amenable to radiotherapy

- Measurable disease, defined as ≥ 1 unidimensionally measurable lesion ≥ 20 mm by
conventional techniques OR ≥ 10 mm by spiral CT scan

- Measurable disease must be outside irradiated areas

- ErbB2-negative disease by immunohistochemistry (negative or 1+) or fluorescent in
situ hybridization (FISH)

- No known CNS metastases, even if previously treated

- Hormone receptor status not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Female

- Menopausal status not specified

- WHO performance status 0-1

- LVEF ≥ 55%

- Hemoglobin ≥ 10.0 g/dL

- Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm³

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³

- Bilirubin < 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN (5 times ULN if liver metastases are present)

- Alkaline phosphatase (AP) ≤ 2.5 times ULN

- AP > 2.5 times ULN and ≤ 6 times ULN allowed if ALT ≤ 1.5 times ULN

- AP > 6 times ULN allowed if ALT normal

- Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN

- Proteinuria < 2+ by dipstick OR protein ≤ 1 g/24hr-urine collection

- INR ≤ 1.5 OR Quick ≥ 70%

- aPTT ≤ 1.5 times ULN

- No peripheral neuropathy > grade 2

- No history or evidence of hereditary bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy with the risk
of bleeding

- No uncontrolled hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure (BP) > 150 mm Hg
and/or diastolic BP > 100 mm Hg, measured repeatedly at > 2 visits despite adequate
treatment with ≥ 2 different antihypertensive drugs

- No clinically significant cardiovascular disease, including the following:

- Cerebrovascular accident or stroke within the past 6 months

- Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

- Unstable angina

- New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure

- Serious cardiac arrhythmia (e.g., ventricular arrhythmia, high-grade
atrioventricular-block) not controlled by medication or requiring medication
which might interfere with regularity of the study treatment

- No serious nonhealing wound, active peptic ulcer, nonhealing bone fracture, or
bleeding skin metastases

- No abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within
the past 6 months

- No active infection requiring IV antibiotics

- No known hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs or excipients

- No known hypersensitivity to Chinese hamster ovary cell products or other recombinant
human or humanized antibodies

- No evidence of any other disease that contraindicates the use of an investigational
drug, that may affect patient compliance with study routines, or places the patient
at high risk for treatment-related complications including, but not limited to, the
following:

- Metabolic dysfunction

- Physical examination finding

- Psychological dysfunction

- Clinical laboratory finding giving reasonable suspicion of a disease or
condition

- No known CNS disease unrelated to cancer (e.g., uncontrolled seizures), unless
adequately treated with standard medical therapy

- No high-risk factors for bleeding, including the following:

- Coagulation parameters outside range

- Need for concurrent anticoagulant therapy

- Insufficient time gap after surgical procedures

- No other malignancy within the past 5 years except for adequately treated basal cell
or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin or carcinoma in situ of the cervix

- No significant traumatic injury within the past 28 days

- No known HIV positivity

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 12 months after
completion of study therapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- No prior chemotherapy for metastatic or inoperable locally recurrent breast cancer

- No prior bevacizumab or other anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drug therapy

- No prior radiotherapy involving the heart (usual irradiation dose to breast or chest
wall allowed)

- More than 12 months since prior neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy

- No neoadjuvant or adjuvant doxorubicin hydrochloride with cumulative dose > 360 mg/m²
or epirubicin hydrochloride with cumulative dose > 720 mg/m²

- More than 6 months since prior adjuvant radiotherapy

- More than 28 days since prior major surgical procedure with high risk of bleeding

- More than 24 hours since prior minor surgical procedures

- More than 10 days since prior acetylsalicylic acid (> 325 mg/day) or clopidogrel
bisulfate (> 75 mg/day)

- More than 10 days since prior and no concurrent use of full-dose oral or parenteral
anticoagulants or thrombolytic agents for therapeutic purposes

- Prophylactic use of anticoagulants allowed (e.g., for maintenance of venous
catheter)

- More than 30 days since prior investigational therapies or participation in other
investigational studies

- No concurrent hormonal therapy

- No other concurrent antineoplastic or antitumor therapy

- No other concurrent investigational drugs

- No concurrent radiotherapy

- No concurrent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with activity on platelets and
gastric mucosa (e.g., dipyridamole, clopidogrel bisulfate, acetylsalicylic acid)

- No anticipated need for major surgery during the course of the study treatment