OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to hormone receptor status (estrogen receptor [ER]-positive and progesterone [PgR] receptor-positive disease vs ER-positive and PgR-negative disease vs ER-negative and PgR-positive disease vs ER- or PgR-positive disease or ER or PgR status unknown), HER-2/neu status (positive [3+ by IHC or positive by fluorescence in situ hybridization ( FISH)] vs negative vs unknown), prior chemotherapy (none vs adjuvant vs neoadjuvant vs both adjuvant and neoadjuvant), and nodal status (pN0 vs pN1 vs pN2 vs pN3). Patients are randomized to 1 of 6 treatment arms.