Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically confirmed* invasive primary carcinoma of the breast by fine-needle
aspiration, core needle biopsy, or incisional biopsy

- Excisional biopsy is not allowed

- Stage III or IV disease (clinical and radiographic staging), including any of the
following:

- Any T with N2 disease (metastasis to ipsilateral axillary lymph nodes fixed to
one another or other structures) or N3 disease (metastasis to ipsilateral
internal mammary lymph nodes)

- T4, any N disease

- Inflammatory disease

- Supraclavicular and/or infraclavicular adenopathy

- Distant metastasis with measurable disease in the breast or lymph nodes

- HER2-overexpressing tumor

- Measurable or evaluable disease

- Residual locoregional disease after completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy OR
locoregional recurrent disease

- Synchronous bilateral primary cancers allowed provided the more serious of the two
cancers meets staging criteria

- Hormone receptor status not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Menopausal status not specified

- WBC > 2,000/mm^3

- Platelet count > 50,000/mm^3

- Hemoglobin > 11 g/dL

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- Radionucleotide ventriculography/LVEF normal OR ≤ 10% asymptomatic decline from
baseline after completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics

- No prior radiotherapy to the breast or regional lymph nodes

- Concurrent participation in neoadjuvant chemotherapy clinical trials allowed