Fluorouracil, Epirubicin, and Cyclophosphamide Alone or Followed by Paclitaxel for Early Breast Cancer

Inclusion Criteria: * Written informed consent. * Histological diagnosis of breast cancer. * Node positive operable breast cancer (stages II-III). * Breast cancer surgery, consisting of radical mastectomy or conservative surgery, plus lymphadenectomy with at least 6 extirpated nodes. Surgery must have happened in the 8 weeks prior to randomisation. * Age \>=18 and \<= 70 years old. * Negative pregnancy test. Adequate contraceptive method during the study participation. * Performance status of 90-100 (Karnofsky index) or ECOG \<=1. * Haemoglobin \>= 10 g/dl; neutrophils \> 1,500/cc; platelets \> 100,000/cc. * Adequate hepatic function with bilirubin, SGOT and SGPT \< 1.5 x upper normal limit (UNL). * Adequate cardiac function documented by left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). * Adequate renal function with creatinine \< 1.5 mg/dl. Exclusion Criteria: * Previous chemotherapy, hormone therapy and/or radiotherapy for breast cancer. * Bilateral breast cancer. Lobular in situ carcinoma. * Previous or current malignancies, except for basal skin carcinoma, cervical in situ carcinoma or superficial bladder carcinoma, adequately treated. * History of arrhythmias and/or congestive heart failure or cardiac blocking grade 2-3; history of myocardial infarction in 6 months before recruitment. * Inability for treatment and study compliance. * Pregnant or lactating women. * Active infection. * History of hypersensitivity to cremophor or cyclosporine. * Pre-existing grade 2 motor or sensorial neurotoxicity (National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria \[NCI CTC\]). * Hormonal receptor status not determined. * Any other criteria which, in investigator's opinion, may jeopardize patient's security or compliance. * Administration of other investigational product in the 30 days prior to randomisation; current participation in another clinical trial.