Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Histologically or cytologically confirmed high- or intermediate-grade malignant soft
tissue sarcoma* of 1 of the following cellular types:

- Adipocytic (e.g., liposarcoma dedifferentiated, myxoid/round cell, pleomorphic,
mixed-type, not otherwise specified)

- Fibroblastic (e.g., adult fibrosarcoma, myxofibrosarcoma, or sclerosing
epithelioid fibrosarcoma)

- So-called fibrohistiocytic (e.g., pleomorphic malignant fibrous histiocytoma
[MFH], giant cell MFH, or inflammatory MFH)

- Leiomyosarcoma

- Malignant glomus tumors

- Skeletal muscle (e.g., rhabdomyosarcoma, alveolar, or pleomorphic)

- Vascular (e.g., epithelioid hemangioendothelioma or angiosarcoma)

- Uncertain differentiation (e.g., synovial, epithelioid, alveolar soft part,
clear cell, desmoplastic small round cell, extra-renal rhabdoid, malignant
mesenchymoma, perivascular epithelioid cell tumor [PEComa], or intimal sarcoma)

- Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors

- Malignant solitary fibrous tumors

- Undifferentiated soft tissue sarcomas not otherwise specified

- Other types of sarcoma if approved by the study coordinator NOTE: *Includes
malignant tumors of non-organ origin and skin and uterine leiomyosarcoma

- The following tumor types are excluded:

- Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma

- Chondrosarcoma

- Osteosarcoma

- Ewing tumors/primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET)

- Gastrointestinal stromal tumors

- Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans

- Inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma

- Neuroblastoma

- Malignant mesothelioma

- Mixed mesodermal tumors of the uterus

- Relapsed, refractory, and/or metastatic disease incurable by surgery or radiotherapy

- Measurable disease

- Must have formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tumor blocks and representative
hematoxylin/eosin slides available for histological central review

- No symptomatic or known CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- At least 60 years of age OR ≥ 18 years of age if patient is not suitable for
intensive combination chemotherapy treatments

- WHO performance status 0-1

- Absolute neutrophil count > 2,000/mm³

- Platelet count > 100,000/mm³

- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)

- AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN

- Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN

- Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min

- No serious cardiac illness within the past 6 months, including, but not limited to
the following:

- History of documented congestive heart failure

- High-risk uncontrolled arrhythmias

- Angina pectoris requiring antianginal medication

- Clinically significant valvular heart disease

- Evidence of transmural infarction on ECG

- Poorly-controlled hypertension (e.g., systolic blood pressure [BP] > 180 mm Hg
or diastolic BP > 100 mm Hg)

- Normal 12-lead ECG

- LVEF normal by MUGA or echocardiogram

- No other malignancy within the past 3 years except adequately treated basal cell or
squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix or breast

- No other serious and/or unstable medical condition, illness, or lab abnormality that
would preclude study participation

- No psychiatric illness or familial, social, or geographical condition that would
preclude study compliance

- No active uncontrolled infection

- No known AIDS positivity

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Negative pregnancy test

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- No prior chemotherapy regimen for advanced or metastatic disease (neoadjuvant and
adjuvant therapy allowed)

- No concurrent sargramostim (GM-CSF) except in cases of febrile neutropenia

- No other concurrent anticancer therapy or investigational agents, including any of
the following:

- Chemotherapy

- Biological response modifiers

- Hormone therapy

- Immunotherapy

- No other concurrent clinical treatment trial participation