Surgery With or Without Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Patients With Lung Metastases From Soft Tissue Sarcoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically proven soft tissue sarcoma with pulmonary metastases for which radical metastasectomy is feasible Eligible subtypes: Malignant fibrous histiocytoma Liposarcoma Synovial sarcoma Malignant paraganglioma Fibrosarcoma Leiomyosarcoma Neurogenic sarcoma Unclassified sarcoma Angiosarcoma (including hemangiopericytoma) Miscellaneous sarcoma (including mixed mesodermal tumors of the uterus) Ineligible subtypes: Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma Kaposi's sarcoma Rhabdomyosarcoma of any type Malignant mesothelioma Chondrosarcoma Neuroblastoma Dermatofibrosarcoma Osteosarcoma Epithelioid sarcoma Primitive neuroectodermal tumor Ewing's sarcoma No extrapulmonary disease Previously treated local recurrence allowed Patients with primarily metastatic disease must have undergone radical treatment of primary tumor according to local protocols Reevaluation of metastases required before randomization PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 16 and over Performance status: WHO 0-1 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3,000/mm3 Platelet count at least 120,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.25 times normal Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.6 mg/dL OR Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min Cardiovascular: No history of cardiovascular disease Other: No other severe medical illness (including psychosis) No prior or concurrent other primary malignancy except adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal cell carcinoma PRIOR CONCURRE…