Nilotinib in Preventing Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients With Stage I-III Breast Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Men or Women with a known diagnosis of breast cancer stages I-III. * Be eligible for weekly or dose dense single agent paclitaxel therapy based on physician assessment. * Have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status =\< 2 * Patients with ECOG scores of 3 or greater typically do not receive chemotherapeutic intervention. * Leukocytes \>= 2,000/uL. * Absolute neutrophil count \>= 1,500/uL. * Platelets \>= 100,000/uL. * Total bilirubin =\< upper limit of normal (ULN). * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\])/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase \[SGPT\]) =\< 2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal. * Creatinine within normal institutional limits OR \>= 50 mL/min for patients with creatinine levels above institutional normal. * Corrected QT interval (QTc) \< 450 milliseconds. * If a female subject is with child bearing potential, she must have a negative pregnancy test at screening. * Female subjects of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception prior to study entry, for the duration of study participation and for 3 months after completion of study treatment administration. Adequate contraception includes methods such as oral contraceptives, double barrier method (condom plus spermicide or diaphragm), or abstaining from sexual intercourse. * Be willing and able to understand and sign the written informed consent document. * Demonstrate adequate electrolyte values as defined below. Hypokalemia and/or hypomagnesemia must be corrected prior to initiating nilotinib: * Calcium 8.6-10.5mg/dL * Magnesium 1.6-2.6mg/dL Exclusion Criteria: * Known distant metastatic disease. * Is HER2+ and is receiving paclitaxel in conjunction with trastuzumab +/- pertuzumab. * Has experienced \> grade 1 neuropathy during previous therapies for early stage breast cancer. * Has experienced prior treatment-related toxicities that have not recovered to grade 1 or less (except for alopecia). * Has a history of grade 3-4 immediate hypersensitivity reaction to paclitaxel. * Has a history of clinically significant allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to nilotinib or paclitaxel. * Has uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements. * Is currently pregnant or breast feeding as there is an unknown but potential risk for adverse events in nursing infants secondary to treatment of the mother with nilotinib and paclitaxel. * Has any other medical or psychiatric condition that in the opinion of the investigator would make the study therapy unsafe for the patient. * Has gastrointestinal (GI) disorders or impairment of GI function that is likely to significantly alter the absorption of nilotinib * Has a marked baseline abnormal heart rhythm such as prolongation of QT/QTc interval (e.g., repeated demonstration of a QTc of \> 450msec) * Has a history of additional risk factors for TdP (e.g., heart failure, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, family history of Long QT Syndrome) * Uses potent CYP3A4 inhibitors (grapefruit juice, cyclosporine, ketoconazole, ritonavir) and if treatment cannot be either safely discontinued or switched to a different medication prior to starting nilotinib. * Has a known diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and is currently taking combination antiretroviral therapy known or suspected to affect paclitaxel pharmacokinetics (PK). * Is concurrently using potent OATP1B1 inhibitors, including antibiotics (rifampicin, rifamycin SV, systemic fusidic acid, clarithromycin, erythromycin, roxithromycin, telithromycin), antiretrovirals (indinavir, saquinavir, ritonavir), cyclosporine, and gemfibrozil.