Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Colony-stimulating Factors in Treating Women With Breast Cancer

Inclusion criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the breast that is potentially curable * T0-4 (dermal involvement on pathology assessment only), N0-2, M0 * No clinical T4 disease * Previously treated with one of the following: * Total mastectomy and level II axillary node dissection * Partial mastectomy and level II axillary node dissection with planned breast radiotherapy after completion of adjuvant chemotherapy regimen\* * Patients with a positive sentinel node biopsy must undergo level II axillary node dissection or sufficient nodal sampling * If microscopic residual in situ or invasive disease is present at total or partial mastectomy margins, planned radiotherapy must also include a boost to the tumor bed * No residual tumor in the axilla after dissection * Axillary node positive * Negative nodes allowed if the tumor is ≥ 1 cm and 1 or more of the following criteria defining high-risk node-negative disease are met: * Histological grade III or, * Estrogen receptor negative or, * Lymphatic/vascular invasion * Hormone receptor status: * Estrogen receptor status known PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 60 and under Sex: * Female Menopausal status: * Pre- or postmenopausal Performance status: * ECOG 0-2 Life expectancy: * At least 5 years Hematopoietic: * WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic: * Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Renal: * Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN Cardiovascular: * LVEF ≥ limit of normal by MUGA or echocardiogram * No arrhythmia requiring ongoing treatment * No congestive heart failure * No documented coronary artery disease Other: * No other malignancy except: * Adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * Ductal or lobular carcinoma in situ that has been curatively treated by surgery alone * Other prior malignancies (except breast cancer) curatively treated more than 5 years prior to study entry * No serious underlying medical illness or psychiatric or addictive disorder that would preclude study compliance * No known hypersensitivity to E. coli-derived products, mammalian-cell derived products, or any study agents * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective non-hormonal contraception PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * No prior immunotherapy for breast cancer * No concurrent pegfilgrastim or darbepoetin alfa (Arm II) * Allowed on arms 1 and 3 if medically necessary Chemotherapy: * No prior chemotherapy for breast cancer Endocrine therapy: * No prior hormonal therapy for breast cancer * No concurrent hormone replacement therapy * No concurrent selective estrogen-receptor modulators (e.g., raloxifene for the treatment or prevention of osteoporosis) * No concurrent oral contraceptives (i.e., birth control pills) * No other concurrent aromatase inhibitors Radiotherapy: * See Disease Characteristics * No prior radiotherapy for breast cancer Surgery: * See Disease Characteristics * No more than 12 weeks since prior total or partial mastectomy (including re-excision of margins) Other: * At least 30 days since prior investigational drugs * No other concurrent investigational drugs * Concurrent bisphosphonates for the treatment or prevention of osteoporosis allowed