Epirubicin and Tamoxifen With or Without Docetaxel in Treating Postmenopausal Women With Breast Cancer

OBJECTIVES: * Compare the impact of adjuvant epirubicin with or without docetaxel and concurrent or sequential tamoxifen on time to relapse and overall survival in postmenopausal women with node-positive breast cancer. * Compare the toxic effects of these regimens in this patient population. * Compare the quality of life in terms of shift in long term toxicity and differences in recuperation in women treated with these regimens. * Compare the incidence of thromboembolic events during the first 9 months of study and the influence of such events on compliance in women treated with these regimens. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to participating center. Patients are randomized to one of two adjuvant chemotherapy treatment arms within 30 days after surgery. * Arm I: Patients receive adjuvant epirubicin IV on days 1 and 8. Treatment continues every 28 days for 6 courses. * Arm II: Patients receive adjuvant epirubicin IV on days 1 and 8. Treatment continues every 28 days for 3 courses. Patients then receive docetaxel IV over 1 hour on day 1. Treatment continues every 21 days for 3 courses. Patients may be further randomized to one of two tamoxifen arms. Patients not randomized to the tamoxifen arms receive oral tamoxifen daily for 5 years concurrently with adjuvant chemotherapy. * Arm I: Patients receive tamoxifen as above concurrently with adjuvant chemotherapy. * Arm II: Patients receive sequential tamoxifen as above after completion of adjuvant chemotherapy. Quality of life is assessed at baseline, 9 months, 2 years, and then at 5 years. Patients are followed at 9 months, 1 year, every 4 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 2 years, and then annually thereafter. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 800 patients will be accrued for this study.