Docetaxel and Carboplatin With or Without Trastuzumab Before Surgery in Treating Women With Locally Advanced Breast Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Confirmed infiltrating adenocarcinoma of the breast * Primary breast cancer \> 5cm, or skin/chest wall involvement, any N, without evidence of metastasis. * No prior radiation to the involved breast * ECOG (Electrocochleography) performance status 0-2 * Age 18 years to 80 years * Absolute Neutrophil count \> 1500 cell/μl, platelet count \> 100000 cells/μl and hemoglobin \> 9 g/dl * All liver function tests \< upper limit of normal * Serum creatinine \< 2.0 mg/dl * Normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) as determined by MUGA (Multiple Gated Acquisition) scan or echocardiogram * HER-2/neu status is determined by a FISH (Fluorescence in situ hybridization) test. \[FISH (+) is HER-2/neu (+)\] * If female of childbearing potential, pregnancy test is negative * If premenopausal and not surgically sterilized, the patient agrees to use effective birth control method for the duration of the study * Informed consent has been obtained Exclusion Criteria: * Non-confirmed infiltrating adenocarcinoma breast cancer * Evidence of metastasis * Previous chemotherapy using the drugs proposed in this study, specifically Herceptin®, Taxotere®, and/or Carboplatin * Prior radiation to the involved breast * Recent breast cancer drug therapy within last 5 years of any form * History of allergy to polysorbate or castor oil * Ongoing active infection * Concurrent life-limiting disease with a life expectancy of less than one year * Past or current history of other malignancy within the past 5 years which could affect the diagnosis or assessment of breast cancer, except for curatively treated non-melanoma skin cancer and/or in situ carcinoma of the cervix * Pregnancy, nursing, fertile women who do not use birth control device * Inability to give informed consent * Patients with pre-existing peripheral neuropathy \> grade 2