Combination Chemotherapy and Filgrastim Before Surgery in Treating Patients With HER2-Positive Breast Cancer That Can Be Removed By Surgery

Inclusion Criteria:

* Have known tumor HER-2/neu expression; if determination is "intermediate" by immunohistochemistry, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) must be performed; protocol therapy is determined by HER-2/neu result
* Have histologically confirmed, operable breast cancer that is either:
* Hormone receptor (estrogen receptor \[ER\] or progesterone receptor \[PR\]) positive and HER2/neu positive or
* ER/PR negative
* Have radiographically measurable breast cancer \> 1cm (Operable lesions are T1c-T3 and N0-N2a; histologic confirmation should be by core needle biopsy only)
* Be chemotherapy naïve
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of =\< 2
* Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>= 1,500
* Platelet count \>= 100,000
* Serum creatinine =\< 1.5 x international upper limit of normal (IULN)
* Bilirubin \< 2.0
* Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT)/serum glutamic pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) =\< 2 x IULN
* Alkaline phosphatase =\< 2 x IULN
* Have staging studies and tumor assessment prior to registration; staging studies include physical exam with bidimensional tumor measurements and mammography, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess tumor volume; sentinel lymph node dissection or axillary needle biopsy must be completed prior to enrollment; MRI and positron emission tomography (PET) (fluorodeoxyglucose \[FDG\], methoxyisobutylisonitrile \[MIBI\] and fluoroestradiol \[FES\]) imaging will be done before enrollment if clinically indicated to assess tumor volume or may be done within the first month of study participation on another institutional protocol
* Patients with clinically apparent cardiac disease, or history of same, are not eligible; patients who are \>= 60 years of age or who have a history of hypertension must have an echocardiogram or multi gated acquisition scan (MUGA) prior to enrollment; patients with breast cancer that is HER-2/neu positive who will receive herceptin (trastuzumab) must have an echocardiogram or MUGA scan; the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) must be within the institutional normal range; if LVEF is \> 75%, the investigator should consider having the LVEF reviewed or repeating the MUGA prior to registration
* Women of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test within seven days prior to registration
* Be informed of the investigational nature of this study and provide written informed consent in accordance with institutional and federal guidelines prior to study specific screening procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

* Primary tumor =\< 1 cm, not measurable; inflammatory disease
* Pregnant or lactating; woman of childbearing potential with either a positive or no pregnancy test at baseline are excluded; postmenopausal woman must have been amenorrheic for at least 12 months to be considered of non-childbearing potential; patients must agree to continue contraception for 30 days from the date of the last study drug administration; woman of childbearing potential not using a reliable and appropriate contraceptive method are excluded
* Evidence of distant metastatic disease
* Prior chemotherapy or hormonal therapy for breast cancer
* Except for the following no other malignancy is allowed: synchronous ipsilateral breast cancer of the same subtype (ER/PR, HER-2/neu), adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, in situ cervical cancer or other stage I or II cancer from which the patient has been disease free for at least 5 years
* Prior unanticipated severe reaction to fluoropyrimidine therapy, or known sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil
* Previous enrollment in an investigational drug study within the past four weeks
* History of uncontrolled seizures, central nervous system disorders, or psychiatric disability judged by the investigator to be clinically significant, precluding informed consent, or interfering with compliance with oral drug intake
* Patients with cardiac disease that would preclude the use of Adriamycin, Taxol or Herceptin are not eligible
* Active cardiac disease:
* Angina pectoris that requires the use of antianginal medication
* Cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication
* Severe conduction abnormality
* Clinically significant valvular disease
* Cardiomegaly on chest x-ray
* Ventricular hypertrophy on electrocardiogram (EKG)
* Uncontrolled hypertension, (diastolic greater than 100 mm/Hg or systolic \> 200 mm/hg)
* Current use of digitalis or beta blockers for congestive heart failure (CHF)
* Clinically significant pericardial effusion
* History of cardiac disease:
* Myocardial infarction documented as a clinical diagnosis or by EKG or any other test
* Documented congestive heart failure
* Documented cardiomyopathy
* Documented arrhythmia or cardiac valvular disease that requires medication or is medically significant
* Major surgery within 4 weeks of the start of study treatment without complete recovery
* Lack of physical integrity of the upper gastrointestinal tract or malabsorption syndrome
* Known, existing uncontrolled coagulopathy
* Unwillingness to give written informed consent
* Unwillingness to participate or inability to comply with the protocol for the duration of the study