• Pathological complete response [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

• Inflammatory cell infiltration [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]
  
• Influence of tumor COX-2 and VEGF expression on dendritic cell-mediated tumor-specific immunity [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed invasive breast cancer meeting the following criteria:

  • Primary tumor ≥ 3 cm by mammography, ultrasound, or palpation AND/OR palpable axillary lymph nodes > 1 cm
  • Survivin- and/or carcinoembryonic antigen-positive by IHC
  • Tumor must be localized by exam or ultrasound to allow tumor injection
  • No stage IV or metastatic disease

• HER2/neu-negative tumor by IHC

  • If 2+ or in the indeterminate range, further testing of HER2/neu overexpression by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) is required
• Hormone receptor status known

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Female
• Pre-, peri-, or postmenopausal
• ECOG performance status 0-1
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for up to 6 months following completion of study therapy
• ANC ≥ 1,500/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• AST and ALT ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• Creatinine < 1.5 times ULN
• No active serious infections
• No prior malignancy except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer, noninvasive carcinoma, or other cancer from which the patient has been disease free for 5 years
• No comorbidity or condition that would interfere with study assessments and procedures or preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• No prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy