Statement: Patients with HER2 negative BC are eligible for both the primary trial and the secondary trial.
Primary_evidence: Inclusion Criteria:   Has MBC that is measurable by RECIST or has nonmeasurable disease with serum CA27.29 (or CA15.3)  50   Has Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) negative breast cancer   Prior chemotherapy is permitted with no limit on the number of prior regimens   Two weeks or more have elapsed since last chemotherapy or radiation treatment   Has an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status (PS) of 0-2   Is female,  18 yrs of age   Protocol defined appropriate laboratory values   Negative pregnancy test within 7 calendar days prior to registration   Has signed a patient informed consent Exclusion Criteria:   Had prior treatment with ixabepilone or other epothilones   Has HER2+ disease   Has a known, prior, severe (National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria Adverse Events [NCI CTCAE] Grade 3-4) history of hypersensitivity reaction to a drug formulated in Cremophor ® EL (polyoxyethylated castor oil)   Is receiving concurrent immunotherapy, hormonal therapy or radiation therapy   Is receiving concurrent investigational therapy or has received such therapy within the past 30 days   Has peripheral neuropathy > Grade 1   Has evidence of central nervous system (CNS) involvement requiring radiation or steroid treatment. Participants with stable brain metastases who are off steroids at least 2 weeks are eligible   Is pregnant or breast feeding
Secondary_evidence: Inclusion Criteria:   stage I-III breast cancer   adjuvant or neoadjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy Exclusion Criteria:   under age 18   pregnancy   metastatic or inoperable (including inflammatory) breast cancer   confounding underlying medical illnesses   history of mania   history of other axis-I psychiatric disorder   other physical or psychological impairments -