Doxorubicin and Cyclophosphamide Followed by Paclitaxel, Trastuzumab, and Lapatinib in Treating Patients With HER2/Neu-Overexpressed Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the breast

• Bilateral synchronous breast tumors allowed
• Any nodal status or tumor size allowed

• No stage IV disease
• HER2/neu-positive disease

• 3+ by IHC OR FISH-amplified
• Hormone receptor status not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Male or female
• Menopausal status not specified
• ECOG performance status 0-1
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.1 mg/dL
• SGOT or SGPT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception during and after completion of study therapy
• LVEF ≥ 50% by MUGA scan
• No peripheral neuropathy > grade 1
• No active second malignancy within the past 5 years except for adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer or in situ carcinoma of the cervix
• No known allergy or hypersensitivity to doxorubicin hydrochloride, cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel, or other drugs formulated in Cremophor EL
• No psychiatric illness or concurrent medical conditions that would preclude study treatment
• No other conditions, including any of the following:

• Unstable angina
• Congestive heart failure
• Myocardial infarction within the past 12 months
• High-risk uncontrolled arrhythmias (e.g., ventricular tachycardia, high-grade AV block, or supraventricular arrhythmias that are not adequately controlled)
• No QT prolongation (> 500 ms)
• No active unresolved infections
• No sensitivity to E. coli derived proteins

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Prior hormonal therapy for chemoprevention allowed
• No prior trastuzumab (Herceptin®)
• No prior anthracyclines
• No concurrent hormonal therapy, including hormonal contraception (e.g., birth control pills or ovarian hormonal or replacement therapy)
• No other concurrent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, or biotherapy for breast cancer
• No concurrent drugs that may prolong the QT