Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Women With Resected Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVES: * Compare the disease-free and overall survival of women with completely resected stage I or II breast cancer adjuvantly treated with fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC) or epirubicin followed by cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (EPI-CMF) versus FEC followed by sequential docetaxel. * Compare the acute toxicity of these regimens in these patients. * Compare the quality of life of patients treated with these regimens. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to participating center, estrogen receptor status (positive vs negative), and nodal status. Within 8 weeks after definitive surgery, patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. * Arm I: Patients are assigned to 1 of 2 standard adjuvant chemotherapy regimens. * Regimen A: Patients receive fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC) IV on day 1. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for 8 courses. * Regimen B: Patients receive epirubicin IV on day 1. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for 4 courses. Patients then receive cyclophosphamide orally on days 1-14 or IV on days 1 and 8 and methotrexate IV and fluorouracil IV on days 1 and 8 (CMF). Treatment with CMF repeats every 4 weeks for 4 courses. * Arm II: Patients receive 4 courses of adjuvant chemotherapy with FEC as in arm I, regimen A. Patients then receive sequential docetaxel IV over 1 hour once every 3 weeks for 4 courses. Beginning within 4 weeks after completion of adjuvant chemotherapy, patients who are not concurrently enrolled in the Standardization of Breast Radiotherapy (START) trial receive localized radiotherapy once daily, 5 days a week, for 3-5 weeks, according to local practice. Beginning within 4 weeks after completion of adjuvant chemotherapy, patients who are estrogen receptor and/or progesterone receptor positive receive oral tamoxifen once daily for at least 5 years. Quality of life is assessed at baseline, before course 5, at 3-4 weeks after course 8, and then at 9, 12, 18, and 24 months after initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months thereafter. Peer Reviewed and Funded or Endorsed by Cancer Research UK PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 3,340 patients (1,670 per treatment arm) will be accrued for this study within 2 years.