Randomized Study of Doxorubicin and Cyclophosphamide With or Without Intermittent Sunitinib in the First-line Treatment of Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients With Measurable Primary Breast Tumor

Special tests Blood sampling * Germline DNA at baseline for pharmacogenetics analysis. * Pharmacokinetic sampling for doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide on day 1, cycle 1 of AC administration. * Pharmacokinetic sampling for sunitinib at baseline and weekly during the first course of sunitinib for subjects in Arm B before the sunitinib dose on that day. * Serial plasma samples for proteomics analysis and for analysis of soluble angiogenic factors * Serial whole blood for gene expression analysis * Serial blood samples for circulating tumor and circulating endothelial cells * DNA will be extracted from collected snap-frozen and/or paraffin-embedded tumor tissue sections (pre- and post-treatment) and plasma (pre- and post-treatment taken for plasma biomarker analysis). Primary tumor and circulating tumor DNA will be genotyped for cancer genes of interest that may influence cancer prognosis and/or treatment response. Tumor core biopsy Arm A: Performed at baseline, approximately 3 weekly after cycle 1 AC but before cycle 2 AC, and upon completion of 4 cycles of AC, for a total of 3 tumor core biopsies Arm B: Performed at baseline, after completing the first course of sunitinib and before cycle 1 AC, approximately 3 weekly after cycle 1 AC but before cycle 2 AC, and upon completion of 4 cycles of AC, for a total of 4 tumor core biopsies. The final biopsy may be obtained at surgery if the patient is scheduled for lumpectomy or mastectomy. The tumor cores will be stored in liquid nitrogen for subsequent DNA, RNA and protein extraction for biomarker studies including gene expression and proteomics analyses. Three to four samples will be obtained at each time point, and one tumor core at each time point will be stored in formalin and paraffin-embedded for immunohistochemistry analysis of biomarkers. Note: Tumor biopsies, imaging and blood collection that are to be conducted after completing the first course of sunitinib may be carried out as early as 2 days before the last dose of sunitinib in the first course for logistics reasons.