Sunitinib in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Stage II or Stage III Breast Cancer That Can Be Removed by Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed breast cancer * Newly diagnosed disease * Stage II-IIIA (T1c, T2, or T3) disease * Unifocal disease * Resectable disease * Tumor must be suitable for multiple biopsies and imaging * No prior breast cancer * Hormone receptor status not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Male or female * Menopausal status not specified * ECOG performance status 0-1 * Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm³ * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³ * Creatinine normal * Calcium ≤ 3 mmol/L * Bilirubin normal * ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * No other malignancies except adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer, curatively treated in situ cancer of the cervix, or other solid tumors curatively treated with no evidence of disease for ≥ 5 years * No QTc prolongation (defined as a QTc interval ≥ 500 msec) or other significant ECG abnormalities * No history of serious ventricular arrhythmia (ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation ≥ 3 beats in a row) * No prior or concurrent NYHA class II-IV cardiovascular disease * No inadequately controlled hypertension (systolic BP ≥ 140 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mm Hg) * No myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmia, stable or unstable angina, symptomatic congestive heart failure, or coronary/peripheral artery bypass graft or stenting within the past 12 months * No pulmonary embolism within the past 12 months * No cerebrovascular accident or transient ischemic attack within the past 12 months * No serious illness or medical condition that would preclude study compliance including, but not limited to, the following: * History of significant neurologic or psychiatric disorder * Active uncontrolled infection * Serious or nonhealing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture * No medical condition that could interfere with oral medication intake (e.g., frequent vomiting, malabsorption) * No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds with similar chemical composition to sunitinib malate * No preexisting hypothyroidism unless patient is euthyroid on medication PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * At least 7 days since prior and no concurrent CYP3A4 inhibitors, including the following: * Azole antifungals (ketoconazole, miconazole) * Verapamil * Clarithromycin * HIV protease inhibitors (indinavir, saquinavir, ritonavir, atazanavir, nelfinavir) * Erythromycin * Delavirdine * Diltiazem * At least 12 days since prior and no concurrent CYP3A4 inducers, including the following: * Rifampin * Phenytoin * Rifabutin * Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) * Carbamazepine * Efavirenz * Pentobarbital * Tipranavir * Phenobarbital * No prior protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor * No prior antiangiogenic agent * No prior hormonal therapy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, investigational therapy, or other therapy for breast cancer * At least 12 days since prior and no concurrent cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (e.g., etoricoxib, valdecoxib, celecoxib, dual cyclooxygenase/lipid oxidation, and lumiracoxib) * No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients * No concurrent agents with proarrhythmic potential (e.g., terfenadine, quinidine, procainamide, disopyramide, sotalol, probucol, bepridil, haloperidol, risperidone, indapamide, and flecainide) * No other concurrent treatment for breast cancer * No concurrent coumadin-derivative anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin) * Anticoagulants at ≤ 2 mg/day for prophylaxis of thrombosis allowed * Low molecular weight heparin allowed provided INR ≤ 1.5