Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically proven recurrent or unresectable:

- Malignant meningioma

- Intracranial hemangiopericytoma

- Primary central nervous system sarcoma, including:

- Fibrosarcoma

- Rhabdomyosarcoma

- Chondrosarcoma

- Leiomyosarcoma

- Measurable or evaluable disease on CT or MRI scan

- Persistent disease following biopsy or incomplete resection OR

- Recurrent disease following complete resection

- No benign meningioma

- No prior or current systemic sarcoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

- 18 and over

Performance status:

- SWOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

- Not specified

Hematopoietic:

- WBC at least 3,000/mm^3

- Absolute granulocyte count at least 1,500/mm^3

- Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3

Hepatic:

- Not specified

Renal:

- Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

- No myocardial infarction within the past 3 months

- No active angina

- No unstable heart rhythms

- No congestive heart failure

Other:

- HIV negative

- No allergy to study drugs

- No serious concurrent medical or psychiatric illness

- No uncontrolled peptic ulcer disease

- No prior malignancy within past 5 years except adequately treated:

- Basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin

- Carcinoma in situ of the cervix

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Effective contraception required of fertile patients

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- Recovered from toxic effects of prior therapy and/or from postoperative complications

Biologic therapy:

- Not specified

Chemotherapy:

- No prior ifosfamide

- No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

- No concurrent hormonal therapy (except estrogen replacement therapy)

- Corticosteroids allowed if dose is stable or decreasing

Radiotherapy:

- At least 4 weeks since prior radiotherapy

- Progressive disease following radiation required

- No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

- See Disease Characteristics