Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed invasive breast carcinoma meeting the following criteria:

- Estrogen receptor-positive ≥ 50% or Allred score > 6

- HER-2 negative defined as IHC < 2+ and negative FISH/CISH

- Primary tumor measuring ≥ 3 cm if there is no node involvement

- Any T if N1 or N2 disease

- No inflammatory breast cancer (T4d)

- No metastatic disease

- Measurable disease by mammography and/or ultrasound and MRI (if available)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Postmenopausal

- Prior bilateral oophorectomy

- ≥ 60 years of age

- < 60 years of age AND have experienced amenorrhea for ≥ 12 months in the absence
of chemotherapy, tamoxifen, or toremifene OR have undergone ovarian suppression
and follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol levels in the postmenopausal
range

- ECOG performance status 0-1

- ANC ≥ 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL

- Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL OR creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min

- Bilirubin normal

- AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN

- Albumin > 2.5. g/dL

- No known HIV infection

- Adequate left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at baseline defined as LVEF not
below normal range by echocardiogram or MUGA

- No evidence of prior uncontrolled hypertension

- Patients with controlled hypertension (systolic < 150 mm Hg and/or diastolic <
90 mm Hg) by antihypertensive therapies allowed

- No prior uncontrolled or symptomatic angina, myocardial infarction, congestive heart
failure, clinically significant arrhythmias, or prolongation of the QTc interval

- No hemorrhagic or thrombotic events, including transient ischemic attack, pulmonary
embolism, or deep-vein thrombosis, within the past 12 months

- No gross hemorrhage within the past 6 months (e.g., gastrointestinal bleeding,
hemoptysis, or hematuria)

- No history or evidence of an inherited bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy at risk of
bleeding

- None of the following:

- Unable to swallow oral medications

- Active inflammatory bowel disease

- Partial or complete bowel obstruction

- Chronic diarrhea

- No history of another malignancy within the past 5 years except for cured
non-melanoma skin cancer or successfully treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix

- No psychiatric disease or social situations that would limit compliance with study
requirements or patient unwilling or unable to comply with protocol for the duration
of study

- No unstable or severe intercurrent medical condition that, in the opinion of the
investigator, might interfere with the achievement of study objectives

- No known immediate or delayed hypersensitive reaction or idiosyncrasy to drugs
chemically related to exemestane or sunitinib malate or their excipients

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics

- No prior or other concurrent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, biologic
therapy, or hormonal therapy for primary invasive breast cancer

- No concurrent anticoagulant therapy except for low-dose anticoagulants (i.e., low
molecular weight heparin or aspirin) for the prevention of deep-vein thrombosis

- No chronic therapy with corticosteroids, except for steroids administered by
inhalation

- More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery and ≥ 7 days since prior minor surgery

- No prior or other concurrent investigational anticancer agent

- No concurrent participation in another clinical trial

- No concurrent drugs with potential proarrhythmic activity

- No concurrent known CYP3A4 inhibitors (i.e., grapefruit, verapamil, ketoconazole,
miconazole, itraconazole, erythromycin, clarithromycin, diltiazem, nefazodone,
voriconazole, telithromycin, indinavir, saquinavir, ritonavir, nelfinavir,
delavirdine)

- No concurrent known CYP3A4 or CYP1A2 inducers (i.e., carbamazepine, dexamethasone,
felbamate, omeprazole, efavirenz, tipranavir, phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone,
rifabutin, rifampicin, St. John's wort)