Docetaxel, Epirubicin, and Cyclophosphamide With or Without Trastuzumab in Treating Women With Locally Advanced Breast Cancer That Can Be Removed By Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed primary carcinoma of the breast by core biopsy
* Solitaire or multifocal disease, defined as tumor manifestations within a quadrant or distance between tumor manifestations measured bilaterally \< 4 cm, respectively

  * No multifocal primary tumor, defined as tumor manifestations in different quadrants or distance between tumor manifestations ≥ 4 cm
* Locally advanced, operable disease

  * Primary tumor ≥ 2 cm by clinical examination or imaging (i.e., mammogram, MRI, or ultrasound)

    * Inflammatory breast cancer with bidimensionally measurable lesion, independent of nodal status, allowed
* HER2 status meeting 1 of the following criteria:

  * HER2-positive disease

    * 3+ by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and/or positive by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)
  * HER-2 negative disease

    * 0 or 1+ by IHC OR 2+ by IHC and negative by FISH
* No distant metastases by clinical or imaging diagnosis
* No prior breast cancer
* Hormone receptor status not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Female
* Pre- or post-menopausal
* ECOG performance status 0-2
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3
* Neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin ≥ 10 g/dL
* ALT and AST ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* Bilirubin normal (unless due to clearly documented Gilbert's syndrome)
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test (for premenopausal women or women with a postmenopausal status for \< 1 year)
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception
* Adequate organ function for cytotoxic chemotherapy
* No known hypersensitivity reaction to the study agents or incorporated substances
* No known allergy or severe reactions to trastuzumab or its constituents (for patients with HER2-positive disease)
* No preexisting motor or sensory neuropathy ≥ grade 2
* No other invasive malignancy within the past 5 years that would preclude study compliance or affect the interpretation of study results
* LVEF ≥ 55% by MUGA or echocardiography
* No other serious illness or medical condition, including any of the following:

  * New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure
  * History of documented congestive heart failure
  * Unstable angina pectoris
  * Myocardial infarction within the past 12 months
  * Uncontrolled hypertension (i.e., systolic blood pressure \[BP\] \> 180 mm Hg or diastolic BP \> 100 mm Hg)
  * Clinically significant valvular heart disease
  * High-risk, uncontrolled arrhythmias
  * Dyspnea at rest due to malignant or other disease
  * Condition that requires supportive oxygen therapy
  * Active serious uncontrolled infections
  * Uncontrolled diabetes

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior systemic therapy for cancer
* No prior trastuzumab (Herceptin\^®) (for HER2-positive patients)
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy
* No other concurrent investigational drugs
* No concurrent immunosuppressive therapy
* No concurrent sex hormones
* No concurrent corticosteroids unless for premedication
* No concurrent bisphosphonates during active treatment with chemotherapy