Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of 1 of the following:

- Primary soft tissue sarcoma at high-risk* for recurrence, meeting any of the
following criteria:

- Previously untreated locally advanced, nonmetastatic disease

- Advanced (metastatic) disease not amenable to standard or higher priority
investigational neoadjuvant therapies

- Recurrent bone sarcoma (e.g., osteogenic sarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, or peripheral
neuroectodermal tumor)

- Must have advanced locally recurrent or metastatic disease NOTE: *High-risk
is defined as high-grade, deep to fascia, and > 5 cm in greatest dimension

- Measurable or nonmeasurable disease is not required

- Pre-chemotherapy consultation with surgery and radiation oncology is required for
formulation of loco-regional therapy

- No gastrointestinal stromal cell sarcoma

- No alveolar soft part sarcoma

- No symptomatic brain metastases

- No requirement for anticonvulsant or corticosteroid therapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Karnofsky performance status 70-100%

- Life expectancy ≥ 2 months

- Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 2,000/mm^3

- Platelet count > 120,000/mm^3

- Creatinine clearance > 50 mL/min

- Serum bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL

- SGOT or SGPT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal

- Serum albumin ≥ 2.5 mg/dL

- LVEF ≥ 50% by MUGA scan

- Not pregnant or nursing

- Fertile patients must use effective contraception

- No concurrent nonmalignant illness (e.g., cardiovascular, pulmonary, or CNS disease)
that is poorly controlled with currently available treatment or is of such severity
that the investigators deem it unwise for the patient to enter the study

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics

- No prior chemotherapy for recurrent (local or metastatic) soft tissue sarcoma

- Prior chemotherapy for recurrent bone sarcoma allowed provided the total dose of
doxorubicin hydrochloride is ≤ 300 mg/m^2

- No prior radiotherapy to > 25% of bone marrow

- At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy or chemotherapy