RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more tumor cells. Monoclonal antibodies, such as trastuzumab, can block tumor growth in different ways. Some block the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Others find tumor cells and help kill them or carry tumor-killing substances to them. Giving combination chemotherapy with or without trastuzumab before surgery may make the tumor smaller and reduce the amount of normal tissue that needs to be removed. It is not yet known whether combination chemotherapy is more effective with or without trastuzumab in treating breast cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is comparing two different regimens of combination chemotherapy given together with or without trastuzumab to see how well they work in treating patients with stage II or stage III breast cancer.
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Count of Patients With Pathologic Complete Response (pCR)
Timeframe: At the time of surgery within 4 weeks of the end of chemotherapy, up to 10 months
Count of Patients With Residual Cancer Burden (RCB) Scores of 0 or 1.
Timeframe: At the time of surgery within 4 weeks of the end of chemotherapy, up to 10 months.