Triptorelin in Preventing Early Menopause in Premenopausal Women Who Are Receiving Chemotherapy for Stage I, Stage II, or Stage III Breast Cancer That Has Been Removed By Surgery

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed breast cancer resected at time of original diagnosis

  • Stage I-III disease

• Candidate for 1 of the following adjuvant chemotherapy regimens:

  • FEC (fluorouracil, epirubicin hydrochloride, and cyclophosphamide) every 21 or 28 days
  • CMF (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil) every 28 days
  • A→CMF (doxorubicin hydrochloride followed by CMF)
  • EC→P (epirubicin hydrochloride and cyclophosphamide every 21 days followed by paclitaxel every 21 days)
  • FEC→P (FEC every 21 days followed by paclitaxel every 21 days)
  • EC→D (EC every 21 days followed by docetaxel every 21 days)
  • AC (doxorubicin hydrochloride and cyclophosphamide) every 21 days
  • AC→P (AC every 21 days followed by paclitaxel every 21 days)
  • E→CMF (epirubicin hydrochloride followed by CMF every 28 days)

• No evidence of metastases or localized or distant recurrence

  • Investigation to exclude metastases required for any suspicious manifestation
• Premenopausal, defined as the presence of active menstrual cycles or normal menses within six weeks before initiation of chemotherapy
• Hormone receptor status not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Female
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or adequately treated in situ carcinoma of the cervix
• No history of noncompliance to medical regimens or patients who are considered potentially unreliable
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy for cancer or non-neoplastic disease
• No other concurrent hormonal therapy except for tamoxifen