Patient description: The patient is a 45-year-old postmenopausal woman with cytologically confirmed breast cancer. A core biopsy revealed a 3 cm invasive ductal breast carcinoma in the left upper outer quadrant. The tumor is HER2-positive and ER/PR negative. Axillary sampling revealed 5 positive lymph nodes. CXR was remarkable for metastatic lesions. The patient is using multivitamins and iron supplements. She does not smoke or consume alcohol. She is not sexually active and has no children. She is a candidate for tumor resection and agrees to do so prior to chemotherapy.

Clinical trial eligibility criteria: eligible ages (years): 18.0-999.0,  Estrogen Receptor Negative Estrogen Receptor Positive HER2/Neu Negative Progesterone Receptor Negative Progesterone Receptor Positive Stage IV Breast Cancer Triple-Negative Breast Carcinoma Patients must provide informed written consent Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-1 Clinical stage IV invasive mammary carcinoma For phase 1b: HER2 negative, as defined for phase II; any ER/PR (negative or positive) can be enrolled in the phase 1b portion For phase II: ER negative (defined as expression of ER in =< 1% cells), PR negative (defined as expression of PR in =< 1% cells), HER2 negative (acceptable methods of HER2 analysis IHC [0, 1+], fluorescence in situ hybridization [FISH] with HER2/centromere on chromosome 17 [CEN17] ratio < 2, and/or chromogenic in situ hybridization [CISH] with HER2/CEN-17 ratio < 2), as previously documented by histological analysis Androgen receptor positivity, defined as >= 10% of tumor cell nuclei with immunoreactivity for AR on central review at Vanderbilt Measurable or bone-only evaluable disease; measurable disease is defined as at least one lesion that can be accurately measured in at least one dimension by Response Evaluation in Solid Tumors (RECIST) 1.1, with radiologic scans within 21 days of day 1, cycle 1 Any number of prior therapies as long as patients have adequate performance status and meet all other Prior treatment with anti-androgens other than enzalutamide is acceptable Phase 1b only: Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded blocks (FFPB) or fresh frozen tissue from the original diagnosis or the metastatic setting should be located; tissue must be submitted with 3 weeks of study initiation  Any kind of malabsorption syndrome significantly affecting gastrointestinal function, including history of Crohn's disease or inflammatory bowel disease Concurrent anti-cancer therapy (chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, immunotherapy, hormonal therapy, biologic therapy) other than the ones specified in the protocol; patients must have discontinued the above cancer therapies for 1 week prior to the first dose of study medication, as well as recovered to baseline from toxicity induced by previous treatments; any investigational drugs should be discontinued 2 weeks prior to the first dose of study medication and radiotherapy must have been completed >= 2 weeks prior to initiation of study drug (cycle 1, day 1) Prior use of PI3K or Akt inhibitors in the metastatic setting for the treatment of cancer; these but are not limited to: taselisib, GDC-0941, GDC-0980, BEZ235, BKM120, LY294002, PIK-75, TGX-221, XL147, XL765, SF1126, PX-866, D-87503, D-106669, GSK615, CAL101; patients who have received PI3K/Akt inhibitors previously for < 4 weeks will be eligible Prior treatment with enzalutamide Current or previously treated brain metastasis or active leptomeningeal disease; head imaging is required during screening in all patients to the presence of central nervous system (CNS) metastatic disease History of seizure or any condition that may predispose to seizure; history of loss of consciousness or transient ischemic attack within 12 months before day 1 Pregnant or lactating women Insulin-dependent diabetes; patients with type II diabetes must meet the outlined above Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to Ongoing or active infection requiring parenteral antibiotics