10-93Surgical Therapy With or Without Axillary Node Clearance for Breast Cancer in the Elderly Who Receive Adjuvant Therapy With Tamoxifen.

Study start date: May 1, 1993

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically or cytologically confirmed stage I or IIA breast carcinoma that is considered operable No prior axillary clearance or biopsy Complete excisional biopsy of primary tumor without axillary clearance or biopsy allowed Suspicious manifestations of metastatic disease (e.g., hot spots on bone scan or skeletal pain of unknown cause) must be proven benign No bilateral breast cancer (any mass in contralateral breast must be proven benign by biopsy) Hormone receptor status: Not specified PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 60 and over Sex: Female Menopausal status Postmenopausal Performance status: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC greater than 4,000/mm^3 Platelet count greater than 100,000/mm^3 Hepatic: Bilirubin less than 1.1 mg/dL AST less than 60 U/L Renal: Creatinine less than 1.3 mg/dL Cardiovascular: Normal cardiac function No history of congestive heart failure Other: No nonmalignant systemic disease that would preclude protocol therapy or prolonged follow-up No psychiatric or addictive disorder that would preclude protocol therapy or informed consent No other prior or concurrent malignancy except nonmelanomatous skin cancer or adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix Geographically accessible for follow-up PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: No prior biologic therapy for breast cancer Chemotherapy: No prior chemotherapy for breast cancer Endocrine therapy: No prior endocrine therapy for breast cancer Radiotherapy: No prior radiotherapy for breast cancer Surgery: See Disease Characteristics