Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Using Doxorubicin and Paclitaxel in Treating Women With Large Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of invasive breast cancer * Tumor ≥ 3 cm and palpable * Multiple masses are allowed provided at least 1 mass is ≥ 3 cm * Clinically positive axillary or supraclavicular lymph nodes allowed * Fine needle aspiration or core needle biopsy positive for invasive breast cancer AND/OR fine needle aspiration of lymph nodes positive * HER2/neu-positive OR negative * No inflammatory breast cancer * No distant metastases * Hormone receptor status: * Estrogen receptor (ER)-positive OR ER-negative PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age * 18 and over Sex * Female Menopausal status * Premenopausal or postmenopausal Performance status * Karnofsky 60-100% Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * Granulocyte count ≥ 1,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic * Bilirubin ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * SGOT ≤ 2 times ULN Renal * Not specified Cardiovascular * LVEF ≥ 50% * No congestive heart failure * No serious conduction system abnormality * No other significant cardiovascular disease Other * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Patients with other prior or concurrent malignancies allowed provided they have received no prior chemotherapy AND they are likely to have been cured from a prior malignancy * No severe medical or psychiatric condition that would preclude study compliance * No known HIV positivity PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biolog…