Randomized Study of Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Focused Microwave Thermotherapy Before Surgery in Treating Women With Large Breast Cancer Tumors

The purpose of this randomized Phase III study is to determine whether preoperative focused microwave heat treatment and chemotherapy combined are more effective than preoperative chemotherapy alone in the treatment of large breast cancer tumors in the intact breast. Combining heat with chemotherapy before surgery might shrink the tumor so that it can be removed in a breast conserving surgery (lumpectomy) instead of a mastectomy.