OBJECTIVES:

• Compare the efficacy of adjuvant cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, and fluorouracil vs observation, in terms of disease-free 5-year survival, in women who have undergone resection for relapsed nonmetastatic breast cancer after initial conservative surgery.
• Compare the overall survival of women treated with these regimens.
• Determine the tolerance of these women to the chemotherapy regimen.
• Correlate prognostic factors of survival with efficacy of the chemotherapy regimen in these women.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to menopausal status and participating center. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. Study begins within 42 days after resection of recurrent disease.

• Arm I: Patients receive fluorouracil IV over 1 hour, epirubicin IV over 1 hour, and cyclophosphamide IV over 1 hour on day 1. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients then receive docetaxel IV over 1 hour on day 1. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
• Arm II: Patients are examined on days 1 and 63.

Patients who are hormone receptor positive also receive one of the following hormonal therapy regimens, depending on menopausal status:

• Oral tamoxifen daily for 5 years
• Oral tamoxifen daily for 5 years and oral luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist therapy (e.g., goserelin) for 3 years
• Oral LHRH agonist therapy (e.g., goserelin) for 3 years
• Oral antiaromatase therapy (e.g., anastrozole) for 5 years Patients also undergo radiotherapy and may also undergo second complete resection.

Patients are followed every 6 months for 5 years and then annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 370 patients (185 per treatment arm) will be accrued for this study within 3 years.