Clinical Research Directory

Inclusion Criteria: * Locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer * Any estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2neu) status as long as the patient will receive nab-paclitaxel alone * First or second line chemotherapy treatment for metastatic disease * Karnofsky performance status (KPS) \>= 70% * Resolution of grade \>= 2 toxicity from prior therapy (other than alopecia) * Peripheral neuropathy =\< grade 1 * Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelets \>= 100,000 cells/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin (Hb) \>= 9.0 g/dl * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) =\< 2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal * Alkaline phosphatase =\< 2.5 x upper limit of normal unless bone metastasis are present in the absence of liver metastases * Bilirubin =\< 1.5 mg/dl * Creatinine clearance (calculated or 24 hour) \>= 30 ml/min * Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document Exclusion Criteria: * Patients may not be receiving any other investigational agents * Untreated central nervous system (CNS) metastases or symptomatic CNS metastases requiring escalating doses of corticosteroids * Known history of allergic reactions to paclitaxel * Presence of any serious or uncontrolled infection * Receipt of a taxane for adjuvant therapy or metastatic disease in the last 12 months