Erlotinib in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the breast * Locally advanced or metastatic disease * Incurable disease * Tumor accessible for biopsy * Prior breast cancer allowed * No symptomatic or untreated brain metastases or carcinomatous meningitis * Neurologically stable patients with inactive brain metastases are allowed if off corticosteroids for at least 4 weeks prior to study * Hormone receptor status: * Not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 18 and over Sex: * Male or female Menopausal status: * Not specified Performance status: * ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy: * At least 3 months Hematopoietic: * Granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic: * Bilirubin normal * ALT/AST no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal Renal: * Creatinine normal OR * Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min Cardiovascular: * LVEF at least 40% * No symptomatic congestive heart failure * No unstable angina pectoris * No cardiac arrhythmia Ophthalmic: * No prior abnormalities of the cornea, including: * Dry eye syndrome or Sjogren's syndrome * Congenital abnormality (e.g., Fuch's dystrophy) * Abnormal slit-lamp examination with a vital dye (e.g., fluorescein or Bengal-Rose) * Abnormal corneal sensitivity test (e.g., Schirmer test or similar tear production test) * No concurrent use of contact lenses Other: * No prior allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to erlotinib (e.g., gefitinib or other anilinoquinazolines) * No other concurrent uncontrolled illness * No active infection * No uncontrolled diabetes mellitus * No psychiatric illness or social situation that would preclude study * No untreated life-threatening disease * No other primary malignancy within the past 5 years except carcinoma in situ of the cervix or nonmelanoma skin cancer * Weight less than 136 kg * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * Not specified Chemotherapy: * At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas or mitomycin) * No concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 2 weeks since prior hormonal therapy * No concurrent hormonal therapy Radiotherapy: * At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy * No concurrent radiotherapy except localized external beam radiotherapy for palliative treatment of metastatic disease (cannot include significant cardiac muscle within the radiotherapy field) Surgery: * Not specified Other: * No other concurrent investigational anticancer agents