DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed stage I-III invasive breast cancer

* Operable disease
* Stage I, II, IIIA, and IIIC (T1-3, N3a only)
* No T4 tumors
* High-risk disease, defined by 1 of the following:

* Tumor ≥ 2 cm in greatest diameter (includes both invasive and intraductal component)

* Patients with nodal status of N0+ (i.e., no cluster of tumor cells in any node greater than 0.2 mm) are considered to be node negative and must have a primary tumor ≥ 2 cm in size or have a tumor ≥ 1 cm with high risk features
* Patients who are node negative on the basis of a sentinel node procedure and fewer than 6 axillary nodes are removed are eligible OR at least 6 axillary or intramammary nodes must be negative
* Tumor ≥ 1 cm in diameter and meeting 1 of the following criteria:

* ER-negative and PgR-negative
* ER-positive or PgR-positive with a Genomic Health Recurrence Score of ≥ 26
* One or more axillary or intramammary nodes are involved by metastatic breast cancer

* If one or more nodes is involved, a minimum of 6 axillary or intramammary nodes must have been examined histologically
* Patients with N0(I+) disease will be considered node negative
* HER2/neu-positive tumors (3+ by immunohistochemical staining or amplified by fluorescence in-situ hybridization) allowed
* Bilateral synchronous breast cancer diagnosed within 1 month of each other allowed provided the higher TNM stage primary tumor meets the eligibility criteria
* Prior modified radical mastectomy OR local excision of all tumors with axillary lymph node dissection or sentinel node resection required

* No more than 84 days since prior surgery for the primary tumor and/or axilla
* Final resection margins for the primary tumor must be histologically negative for invasive cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ
* Resection margins positive for lobular carcinoma in situ are allowed
* Hormone receptor status:

* Estrogen receptor status known
* Progesterone receptor status known

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

* 18 and over

Sex

* Male or female

Menopausal status

* Not specified

Performance status

* Zubrod 0-2

Life expectancy

* Not specified

Hematopoietic

* Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,200/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3

Hepatic

* Bilirubin no greater than upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2 times ULN
* SGOT or SGPT no greater than 2 times ULN

Renal

* Creatinine no greater than ULN

Cardiovascular

* No congestive heart failure
* No active angina pectoris
* LVEF greater than or equal to the lower limit of normal\* by MUGA or echocardiogram NOTE: Patients age 60 and over OR with a history of hypertension

Other

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* No other malignancy within the past 5 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, in situ cervical carcinoma, or lobular carcinoma in situ of the breast

* Prior invasive breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ allowed if disease-free for 5 years
* HIV negative

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

* Not specified

Chemotherapy

* No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy for this breast cancer
* No prior chemotherapy with an anthracycline, anthracenedione, or taxane

Endocrine therapy

* Not specified

Radiotherapy

* No prior radiotherapy for this malignancy
* At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy for ductal carcinoma in situ

Surgery

* See Disease Characteristics