Inclusion Criteria:

- Histologically verified breast cancer

- Large (≥ 3 cm) breast cancer

- IIb-IIIa stage

- ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) status: 0-1-2

- Adequate bone marrow reserve: (Haemoglobin ≥ 12g/l, Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) ≥
2.0x 10^9, Platelets ≥100 000)

- Laboratory results:

- Bilirubin ≤ Upper Limit Normal (ULN)

- Serum Glutamate Pyruvate Transaminase (SGPT) ≤ 2.5 ULN, Serum Glutamate Oxaloacetate
Transaminase (SGOT) ≤ 2.5 ULN,

- Alk.phosph. ≤ 5.0 ULN,

- Creatinin ≤ ULN, if borderline calculated at ≤ 60ml/min

- Normal cardiac function (the result of Left Ventricular Ejection Function (LVEF) must
be above the lower limit of normal for the institution)

- Negative pregnancy test

- Hormonal receptor status assessed

Exclusion Criteria:

- Pregnancy or lactation

- SGOT and/or SGPT > 1.5 upper limit normal, associated with Alk.phosph > 2.5 ULN

- Serious medical condition including but not limited to:

- Uncontrolled hypertension

- Active ulcus pepticum

- Non-stable diabetes mellitus

- Other contraindication of steroid treatment

- Myocardial infarction within the last 6 months prior study entry

- Significant neurologic/psychiatric disorders

- Active infection

- Peripheral neuropathy grade ≥ 2

- Unstable angina

- Severe arrhythmia

- Participation in other clinical trial

- Prior surgery, chemotherapy, hormonotherapy for breast cancer

- Past or current history of neoplasm other than breast cancer, except for: curatively
treated non-melanoma skin cancer, in situ carcinoma of the cervix, other cancer
curatively treated and with no evidence of disease for at least 7 years

- History of hypersensitivity to the investigational products or to drugs with similar
chemical structures

- Likelihood of requiring treatment during the study period with drugs not permitted by
the clinical study protocol

- Treatment with any investigational product in the last 1 month before study entry.

The above information is not intended to contain all considerations relevant to a
patient's potential participation in a clinical trial.