Statement: Patients with a palpable breast lesions and axillary lymph nodes are eligible for the primary trial.
Primary_evidence: DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:   Clinical, mammographic, ultrasonographic, or pathologic diagnosis of unicentric and unifocal breast carcinoma   Largest tumor lesion  5 cm   Palpable or nonpalpable breast lesion   Preoperative radioactive occult lesion localization, hook wire, or other method of localization required for nonpalpable lesions   Prior (preoperative) or planned (intraoperative) sentinel node biopsy required   At least 1 micrometastatic (i.e., no greater than 2 mm) sentinel lymph node with no extracapsular extension   No clinical evidence of distant metastases   No suspicious manifestation of metastases that cannot be ruled out by x-ray, MRI, or CT scan, including the following:   Skeletal pain of unknown cause   Elevated alkaline phosphatase   Bone scan showing hot spots   No palpable axillary lymph node(s)   No Paget's disease without invasive cancer   Hormone receptor status:   Estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor known   PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:   Age   Any age   Sex   Female   Menopausal status   Any status   Performance status   Not specified   Life expectancy   Not specified   Hematopoietic   Not specified   Hepatic   See Disease Characteristics   Renal   Not specified   Other   Not pregnant or nursing   No other prior or concurrent malignancy except the following:   Adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer   Adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix   Adequately treated in situ melanoma   Contralateral or ipsilateral carcinoma in situ of the breast   No psychiatric, addictive, or other disorder that may compromise ability to give informed consent   Geographically accessible for follow-up   PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:   Biologic therapy   Not specified   Chemotherapy   Not specified   Endocrine therapy   Not specified   Radiotherapy   Not specified   Surgery   See Disease Characteristics   Other   No prior systemic therapy for breast cancer   More than 1 year since prior chemopreventive agent