Combination Chemotherapy Compared With Observation After Surgery in Treating Women With Relapsed Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVES: * Compare the efficacy of adjuvant cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, and fluorouracil vs observation, in terms of disease-free 5-year survival, in women who have undergone resection for relapsed nonmetastatic breast cancer after initial conservative surgery. * Compare the overall survival of women treated with these regimens. * Determine the tolerance of these women to the chemotherapy regimen. * Correlate prognostic factors of survival with efficacy of the chemotherapy regimen in these women. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to menopausal status and participating center. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. Study begins within 42 days after resection of recurrent disease. * Arm I: Patients receive fluorouracil IV over 1 hour, epirubicin IV over 1 hour, and cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour on day 1. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients then receive docetaxel IV over 1 hour on day 1. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. * Arm II: Patients are examined on days 1 and 63. Patients who are hormone receptor positive also receive one of the following hormonal therapy regimens, depending on menopausal status: * Oral tamoxifen daily for 5 years * Oral tamoxifen daily for 5 years and oral luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist therapy (e.g., goserelin) for 3 years * Oral LHRH agonist therapy (e.g., goserelin) for 3 years * Oral antiaromatase therapy (e.g., anastrozole) for 5 years Patients also undergo radiotherapy and may also undergo second complete resection. Patients are followed every 6 months for 5 years and then annually thereafter. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 370 patients (185 per treatment arm) will be accrued for this study within 3 years.