Patients who received radiation therapy > years ago for malignancies other than breast cancer and whose radiation therapy field is not overlapping with the % isodose line of current radiation field are eligible, provided that radiation therapy was completed > years ago and that there is no evidence of the second malignancy at the time of study entry No prior therapies are allowed for the treatment of the newly diagnosed breast cancer; patients with a prior diagnosis of malignancy treated >= years ago are eligible, provided that they have not received prior taxanes or carboplatin as part of their prior treatment regimen, and that they meet all eligibility criteria Patients with prior cancers, except: those diagnosed ? years ago with no evidence of disease relapse and clinical expectation of relapse of less than %; prior successfully treated Level cutaneous melanomas ? years ago; or non-melanoma skin cancer; or carcinoma in situ of the cervix Patients who received recent chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer are eligible; patients who received chemotherapy > years ago for malignancies other than pancreatic cancer are also eligible, provided that chemotherapy was completed > years ago and that there is no evidence of the second malignancy at the time of study entry Patients who received radiation therapy > years ago for malignancies other than pancreatic cancer and whose radiation therapy field is not overlapping with the % isodose line of current radiation field are eligible, provided that radiation therapy was completed > years ago and that there is no evidence of the second malignancy at the time of study entry Prior malignancy (EXCEPTION: diagnosed > years ago without evidence of disease, OR treated =< years ago but have a greater than % chance of life expectancy of >= years for that malignancy) Patients who received chemotherapy > years ago for malignancies other than pancreatic cancer are eligible Received the last anti-cancer therapy at least days ago Patients with prior malignancies diagnosed > years ago without evidence of disease are eligible Patients with a prior malignancy treated < years ago but have a life expectancy of > years for that malignancy are eligible Patients who received chemotherapy > years ago for malignancies other than pancreatic cancer are eligible, provided that chemotherapy was completed > years ago and that there is no evidence of the second malignancy at the time of study entry Patients who received radiation therapy > years ago for malignancies other than pancreatic cancer and whose radiation therapy field is not overlapping with the % isodose line of current radiation field are eligible, provided that radiation therapy was completed > years ago and that there is no evidence of the second malignancy at the time of study entry Prior chemotherapy treatment unless =< years ago A tumor sample is required for enrollment (except for patients diagnosed > years ago) Patients with prior malignancies diagnosed > years ago without evidence of disease are eligible; patients with a prior malignancy treated < years ago but have a life expectancy of > years for that malignancy are eligible Patients with a prior malignancy allowed if > years ago with no current evidence of disease Patients with prior malignancies diagnosed > years ago without evidence of disease are eligible; patients with a prior malignancy treated < years ago but have a life expectancy of > years for that malignancy are eligible Patients with evidence of another malignancy (exclusive of a skin cancer that requires only local treatment);\r\n* Patients with prior malignancies diagnosed > years ago without evidence of disease are eligible\r\n* Patients with prior malignancy treated < years ago but have a life expectancy of > years for that malignancy are eligible The transplant occurred > months ago Completed active cancer treatment other than maintenance therapy >= months ago Prior mammogram (if any) more than years ago