Cyclophosphamide and Docetaxel or Doxorubicin in Treating Women With Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer That Can Be Removed by Surgery

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed invasive breast cancer
• * Newly diagnosed disease
• * Operable disease
• Must have clinical T2 (\> 2cm) or T3 (\> 5 cm) primary tumors with no clinical lymph node involvement (N0)
• * No clinical T4 lesion (e.g., peau d'orange, skin ulceration, satellite nodules, or inflammatory breast cancer)
• No evidence of metastatic disease
• Known hormone receptor status
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Menopausal status not specified
• ECOG performance status (PS) 0-2 (Karnofsky PS 60-100%)
• Life expectancy \> 10 years
• Leukocytes ≥ 3,000/mm³
• ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Total bilirubin normal
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal
• Creatinine normal or creatinine clearance ≥ 40 mL/min
• Normal cardiac ejection fraction, defined as ≥ 50% by MUGA scan or 2D-ECHO
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No history of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar chemical or biologic composition to docetaxel or other agents used in this study
• No history of pre-existing peripheral neuropathy
• No uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, any of the following:
• * Ongoing or active infection
• * Symptomatic congestive heart failure
• * Unstable angina pectoris
• * Cardiac arrhythmia
• * Psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
• No prior malignancies except curatively treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• No prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy
• No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents or therapies with the intent to treat the patient's malignancy
• No other concurrent chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormonal cancer therapy, surgery for cancer, or experimental medications
• No concurrent combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients
• No other concurrent antitumor therapy