This phase II trial in patients with stage II and stage III breast cancer will test the feasibility of using cDNA microarray as a measure of a tumor's biological response to chemotherapeutic agents by characterizing the cDNA expression patterns in breast cancer before and after primary chemotherapy. Thirty-six patients receive docetaxel/capecitabine induction chemotherapy followed by surgery and doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide adjuvant therapy (TX/AC). We will determine the response rate of TX induction therapy and the toxicities of the sequential combinations (TX/AC). We will also obtain tumor tissue for correlative biological determinations.