OBJECTIVES: I. Compare disease free survival and overall survival in women with operable breast cancer and at least 4 positive axillary lymph nodes treated with intensive sequential chemotherapy with doxorubicin, paclitaxel, and cyclophosphamide versus standard dose doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by high dose STAMP I (cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, and carmustine) or STAMP V (cyclophosphamide, carboplatin, and thiotepa) and autologous stem cell rescue. II. Compare the toxic effects of these regimens in this patient population. III. Measure the breast cancer cell content of the peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) fractions from patients randomized to the PBPC supported arm and correlate the results with the disease free survival, survival, and pattern of relapse in these patients.