Surgery With or Without Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Soft Tissue Sarcoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically proven soft tissue sarcoma that is amenable to definitive surgery no more than 8 weeks after biopsy or inadequate surgery * Eligible subtypes: * Alveolar soft part sarcoma * Angiosarcoma * Fibrosarcoma * Leiomyosarcoma * Malignant fibrous histiocytoma * Liposarcoma (round cell and pleomorphic) * Miscellaneous sarcoma (including pelvic mixed mesodermal tumors) * Malignant paraganglioma * Neurogenic sarcoma * Rhabdomyosarcoma * Synovial sarcoma * Unclassifiable sarcoma * Ineligible subtypes: * Chondrosarcoma * Dermatofibrosarcoma * Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma * Ewing's sarcoma * Kaposi's sarcoma * Liposarcoma (myxoid and well differentiated) * Malignant mesothelioma * Neuroblastoma * Osteosarcoma * Confirmed high-grade tumor (i.e., Trojani Grade II or III) * No metastases on staging with chest x-ray and thoracic CT scan * No regional lymph node involvement * Locally recurrent disease allowed * Interval of 3 months or more between definitive surgery and recurrence PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * 16 to 69 Performance status: * WHO 0-1 Life expectancy: * Not specified Hematopoietic: * WBC greater than 4,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count greater than 120,000/mm\^3 * No bleeding disorders Hepatic: * Bilirubin no greater than 1.25 times normal * No severe hepatic dysfunction Renal: * Creatinine less than 1.6 mg/dL OR * Creatinine clearance grea…