S9623, Combination Chemotherapy Plus Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation in Treating Women With Breast Cancer

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known which regimen of chemotherapy followed by peripheral stem cell transplantation is more effective for breast cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy plus peripheral stem cell transplantation in treating women who have undergone surgery for breast cancer.