OUTLINE: This is an open label, multicenter study. Patients receive doxorubicin IV over 5-10 minutes followed by cyclophosphamide IV over 5-10 minutes and docetaxel IV over 1 hour. Treatment repeats every 3 weeks for 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Within 5 weeks following completion of chemotherapy, operable patients achieving complete or partial response undergo mastectomy, segmental mastectomy, or lumpectomy with nodal dissection. Patients with positive surgical tumor margins may undergo an additional surgical procedure. Patients are followed for survival.