Inclusion Criteria:

Disease Characteristics:

- Palpable, operable breast cancer that has been diagnosed by core needle biopsy
(mandatory for T1c tumors) or fine needle aspiration within 21 days prior to entry

- Stage T1c-4b, N0-1, M0

Hormone receptor status:

- Not specified

- No bilateral breast cancer

Prior/Concurrent Therapy:

- No previous treatment for breast cancer

Biologic therapy:

- Not specified

Chemotherapy:

- No previous chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

- Not specified

Radiotherapy:

- Not specified

Surgery:

- Core needle biopsy or fine needle aspiration within 21 days prior to entry

- Repeated core needle biopsy permitted

Patient Characteristics:

Age:

- 16 to 70

Sex:

- Women only

Menopausal status:

- Not specified

Performance status:

- WHO 0-2

Hematopoietic:

- WBC at least 4,000

- Platelets at least 100,000

Hepatic:

- Bilirubin no greater than 2.8 mg/dL (50 micromoles/L)

Renal:

- Creatinine no greater than 1.3 mg/dL (120 micromoles/L)

Cardiovascular:

- No congestive heart failure

- No significant arrhythmia

- No bilateral bundle branch block

- No recent myocardial infarction

- No uncontrolled hypertension (diastolic pressure greater than 110 mm Hg)

Other:

- No male breast cancer

- No pregnant or nursing women

- No second malignancy except adequately treated:

- Nonmelanomatous skin cancer

- Cervical cancer