Abraxane, Avastin, and Gemcitabine as First-Line Therapy for Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

Patients must either be:

treatment-naïve with newly diagnosed her2neu non-overexpressing (non amplified) metastatic (Stage IV) breast cancer, or
HER2/neu-negative patients with metastasis diagnosed 6 or more months after completing primary systemic treatment (neoadjuvant, adjuvant chemotherapy).
No previous chemotherapy regimen for metastatic breast cancer.
18 years of age or older.
Measurable disease as defined by RECIST criteria or evaluable disease.
Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-1.
Life expectancy greater than 3 months.
For female (or male) patients, either pre- or post-menopausal, surgically sterilized, or willing to use an acceptable method of birth control for the duration of the study
Provide written informed consent before any study-related procedure not part of normal medical care is conducted
Willing and able to comply with the protocol requirement

Laboratory parameters as follows:

Neutrophils: 1.5 x109/L or greater
Platelets: 100 x109/L or greater
Hemoglobin: ≥ 9.0 g/dL
Serum Creatinine: ≤ 1.5mg/dL
Bilirubin: ≤ ULN, except when caused by metastatic disease
Alanine transaminase (ALT)/Aspartate transaminase (AST): ≤ 2.5 times the upper limit of the normal range (ULN) except when caused by metastatic disease
Urine protein creatinine (UPC) ratio < 1.0 at screening.

Exclusion Criteria

Previous treatment with gemcitabine.
History of Gastrointestinal Bleeding in the previous 3 months.
Chemotherapy within 4 weeks prior to enrollment.
Radiation therapy or evidence of acute effects of radiation therapy within 2 weeks prior to enrollment.
Any major surgery within 4 weeks prior to enrollment.
Presence of central nervous system or brain metastases.
Urine protein: creatinine ratio ≥ 1.0 at screening.
Inadequately controlled hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure > 150 and/or diastolic blood pressure > 100 mmHg on antihypertensive medications).
A prior history of hypertensive crisis or hypertensive encephalopathy.
Peripheral neuropathy > grade I.
Clinical AIDS or known positive HIV serology
No concurrent clinically evident malignancy is allowed except inactive non-melanoma skin cancer and inactive cervical cancer diagnosed or other cancer for which the patient has been disease-free for five years.
Unstable angina.
New York Heart Association (NYHA) Grade II or greater congestive heart failure
History of myocardial infarction within 6 months.
History of stroke within 6 months.
Clinically significant peripheral vascular disease.
Evidence of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy
Major surgical procedure, open biopsy, or significant traumatic injury within 28 days prior to enrollment, anticipation of need for major surgical procedure during the course of the study.
Minor surgical procedures such as fine needle aspirations or core biopsies within 7 days prior to enrollment.
Pregnant (positive pregnancy test) or lactating.
History of abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within 6 months prior to enrollment
Serious, non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
Inability to comply with study and/or follow-up procedures
Participants with serious medical or psychiatric illness that would render chemotherapy unsafe are ineligible.
Participants cannot have been in another experimental drug study other than a Bevacizumab cancer study within 4 weeks of the first infusion of these study medications.