Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed stage I or IIA breast carcinoma that is
considered operable

- No prior axillary clearance or biopsy

- Complete excisional biopsy of primary tumor without axillary clearance or biopsy
allowed

- Suspicious manifestations of metastatic disease (e.g., hot spots on bone scan or
skeletal pain of unknown cause) must be proven benign

- No bilateral breast cancer (any mass in contralateral breast must be proven benign by
biopsy)

- Hormone receptor status:

- Not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 60 and over

Sex:

- Female

Menopausal status

- Postmenopausal

Performance status:

- Not specified

Hematopoietic:

- WBC greater than 4,000/mm^3

- Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin less than 1.1 mg/dL

- AST less than 60 U/L

Renal:

- Creatinine less than 1.3 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

- Normal cardiac function

- No history of congestive heart failure

Other:

- No nonmalignant systemic disease that would preclude protocol therapy or prolonged
follow-up

- No psychiatric or addictive disorder that would preclude protocol therapy or informed
consent

- No other prior or concurrent malignancy except nonmelanomatous skin cancer or
adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix

- Geographically accessible for follow-up

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

- No prior biologic therapy for breast cancer

Chemotherapy:

- No prior chemotherapy for breast cancer

Endocrine therapy:

- No prior endocrine therapy for breast cancer

Radiotherapy:

- No prior radiotherapy for breast cancer

Surgery:

- See Disease Characteristics