DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the breast

  • Significant risk of distant recurrence based on ≥ 1 of the following criteria:

    • At least 1 axillary lymph node (LN) positive on routine histologic examination (must be demonstrated by more than immunohistochemistry alone)
    • LN negative with estrogen receptor (ER)-negative tumor ≥ 1 cm
    • LN negative with ER+ tumor ≥ 5 cm regardless of recurrence score

    • LN negative with ER+ tumor ≥ 1 cm but < 5 cm with a recurrence score ≥ 11

      • Patients enrolled on ECOG-PACCT-1 clinical trial are eligible

• Has undergone definitive breast surgery within the past 29-84 days, including total mastectomy and axillary dissection (modified radical mastectomy), total mastectomy and sentinel node biopsy, lumpectomy and axillary dissection, or lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy

  • Surgical margins must be histologically free of invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ

    • Resection margins positive for lobular carcinoma in situ allowed

• Planned post-lumpectomy radiation therapy required, including any of the following:

  • Whole breast radiation therapy after chemotherapy
  • Accelerated partial breast radiation therapy after chemotherapy
  • Accelerated partial breast radiation therapy prior to chemotherapy
• Planned post-mastectomy radiation therapy required for patients with a primary tumor of ≥ 5 cm or involvement of ≥ 4 lymph nodes
• No HER2/neu positive breast cancer (i.e., 3+ by immunohistochemistry or positive by fluorescent in situ hybridization [FISH])
• No clinical evidence of inflammatory disease or fixed axillary nodes (N2) at diagnosis
• May have synchronous bilateral breast cancer (diagnosed ≤ 1 month) if the higher TNM stage tumor meets the eligibility criteria for this trial
• Hormone receptor status known

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Male or female
• Pre- or post-menopausal
• ECOG performance status 0-1
• Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• AST ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
• Urine protein:creatinine ratio < 1.0
• PTT ≤ 1.5 times ULN
• LVEF normal by echocardiogram or MUGA

• No clinically significant cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, including any of the following:

  • Uncontrolled arrhythmia

    • Controlled atrial fibrillation allowed
  • Uncontrolled hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure (BP) > 160 mm Hg or diastolic BP > 90 mm Hg
  • Transient ischemic attack, stroke, or subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • Ischemic bowel
  • Myocardial infarction within the past 12 months
  • Unstable angina within the past 12 months
  • New York Heart Association class II-IV congestive heart failure within the past 12 months
  • Peripheral vascular disease ≥ grade 2 within the past 12 months
• No bleeding diathesis, hereditary or acquired bleeding disorder, or coagulopathy
• No nonhealing wound or fracture
• No abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within the past 6 months
• No hypersensitivity to paclitaxel or drugs using the vehicle Cremophor EL, Chinese hamster ovary cell products, or other recombinant human antibodies
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for ≥ 3 months after completion of study treatment

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics

• More than 28 days since prior major surgery

  • Nonoperative biopsy not considered major surgery
• More than 24 hours since prior placement of a vascular access device

• No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy or hormonal therapy for study cancer

  • May have received prior (but no concurrent) tamoxifen or raloxifene for chemoprevention
• No prior anthracycline, anthracenedione, or taxane for any condition

• Concurrent full-dose anticoagulation allowed provided the following criteria are met:

  • INR in-range (usually between 2 and 3) on a stable dose of warfarin or low molecular weight heparin
  • No active bleeding or pathological conditions that carry a high risk of bleeding (e.g., varices)
• Concurrrent prophylactic anticoagulants to maintain patency of a vascular access device allowed
• No concurrent cardioprotectant drugs