Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Women With Stage II or Stage IIIA Breast Cancer That Has Spread to the Lymph Nodes

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically confirmed operable stage IIA, IIB, or IIIA adenocarcinoma of the breast with histologically involved lymph nodes (T1, 2, or 3; N1 or 2; M0) OR high-risk node-negative disease (T2 or 3; N0)
• •* Primary tumor at least 2.1 cm in diameter for node-negative disease
• •* Bilateral breast disease allowed if at least 1 primary tumor meets the criteria above
• •Must have had at least 6 axillary lymph nodes removed at dissection and at least one node positive for metastasis OR
• •Sentinel node biopsy negative for metastasis (sentinel node biopsy positive allowed if enrolled on American College of Surgery Trial Z0011 and have beenrandomized to receive no axillary dissection)
• •* Additional axillary nodes may be obtained provided they are also negative for metastasis
• •Complete tumor removal by either a modified radical mastectomy or local excision plus axillary lymph node dissection (i.e., breast conservation therapy) or sentinel node biopsy
• •* Tumor-free margins at least 1 mm for both invasive and noninvasive carcinoma except for lobular carcinoma in situ (less than 1 mm allowed)
• •Concurrent enrollment on American College of Surgery Trial Z0010, Z0011, or NSABP B-32 allowed
• •Hormone receptor status:
• •* Estrogen receptor status positive, negative, or unknown
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age:
• •18 and over
• •Sex:
• •Female
• •Menopausal status:
• •Not specified
• •Performance status:
• •Not specified
• •Life expectancy:
• •Not specified
• •Hematopoietic:
• •Neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• •Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• •Hepatic:
• •Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• •SGOT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal
• •Renal:
• •Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• •Cardiovascular:
• •No history of myocardial infarction
• •No congestive heart failure
• •No significant ischemic or valvular heart disease
• •Other:
• •No other prior invasive malignancies within the past 5 years except curatively treated basal or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• •No hypersensitivity to paclitaxel or docetaxel or other similarly formulated drugs (with Cremophor or polysorbate)
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy:
• •Not specified
• •Chemotherapy:
• •No prior chemotherapy for breast cancer
• •Endocrine therapy:
• •Prior tamoxifen of no more than 4 weeks duration for breast cancer allowed
• •Prior tamoxifen or other selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) for chemoprevention (e.g., Breast Cancer Prevention Trial) or for other indications (e.g., osteoporosis) allowed
• •No concurrent tamoxifen or other SERMs
• •Radiotherapy:
• •No prior radiotherapy for this malignancy
• •At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy to the breast for ductal carcinoma in situ
• •Surgery:
• •See Disease Characteristics
• •Less than 84 days since prior surgical procedure to adequately treat primary tumor