Statement: Patients must have a white blood cell count above 1,500/mm¬¨‚â• to participate in the primary trial.
Primary_evidence: DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:   Histologically confirmed breast cancer meeting 1 of the following criteria:   Unresectable stage IIIB or IIIC disease   Stage IV disease   Must be negative for all of the following:   Estrogen receptor (< 10%)   Progesterone receptor (<10%)   HER-2 (negative FISH, IHC 0 - 1+, or IHC +2 with negative FISH)   Measurable or evaluable disease   No symptomatic or progressive CNS (central nervous system) metastases   Previously treated CNS metastases allowed provided all of the following criteria are met:   At least 8 weeks since prior radiation to brain or CNS metastases   No concurrent steroids   No leptomeningeal disease   PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:   Menopausal status not specified   ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status 0-2   Life expectancy  6 months   WBC > 1,500/mm³   Platelet count > 100,000/mm³   Creatinine clearance > 40 mL/min   Normal electrolytes (i.e., Na, K, and Ca normal; minor deviations are allowed if they do not impact on patient safety in the clinical judgment of the treating physician)   Bilirubin  1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)   ALT and AST  2.5 times ULN ( 5 times ULN in the presence of documented liver metastases)   Alkaline phosphatase  2.5 times ULN ( 5 times ULN in the presence of liver or bone metastases)   Not pregnant or nursing   Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception   No uncontrolled intercurrent illness   No active infection requiring systemic therapy   Able to swallow oral medications and with no medical problems or prior surgeries that may interfere with the absorption of oral medications including the following:   Uncontrolled nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea   Lack of the physical integrity of the upper gastrointestinal tract   Malabsorption syndrome   No known hypersensitivity to bendamustine hydrochloride, mannitol, or erlotinib hydrochloride   No prior malignancy in the past 5 years except for adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin carcinoma, or adequately treated stage I-II cancer for which the patient is in complete remission   PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:   See Disease Characteristics   Prior adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 1 prior chemotherapy regimen in the metastatic setting allowed provided recovered from all acute toxicities   No prior bendamustine hydrochloride or EGFR-directed therapy   No other concurrent antineoplastic treatments, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, biological therapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy, and surgery   Intravenous bisphosphonates allowed   No concurrent antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients   No other concurrent investigational agents