Brostallicin in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed soft tissue sarcoma that is not amenable to surgery, radiotherapy, or combined modality therapy with curative intent * Stratum I * Malignant fibrous histiocytoma * Liposarcoma * Rhabdomyosarcoma * Synovial sarcoma * Malignant paraganglioma * Fibrosarcoma * Leiomyosarcoma * Angiosarcoma including hemangiopericytoma * Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor * Unclassified sarcoma * Miscellaneous sarcoma * Stratum II * Gastrointestinal stromal tumor * Previously treated with imatinib mesylate for locally advanced or metastatic disease and demonstrated disease progression * The following sarcoma types are excluded: * Mixed mesodermal tumors of the uterus (and carcinosarcoma) * Chondrosarcoma * Malignant mesothelioma * Neuroblastoma * Osteosarcoma * Ewing's sarcoma * Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma * At least one measurable lesion * Progressive disease after 1 prior anthracycline- and/or alkylating-containing chemotherapy regimen for locally advanced or metastatic disease * Clinical evidence of progression within 6 weeks prior to study treatment * No known or symptomatic CNS metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * Over 15 Performance status: * WHO 0-1 Life expectancy: * Not specified Hematopoietic: * WBC at least 4,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic: * Bilirubin no greater than 1.25 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * SGPT and SGOT no greater than 3 times…