Combination Chemotherapy, Radiation Therapy, and Surgery in Treating Patients With Primary or Recurrent Sarcoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed primary or recurrent soft tissue sarcoma of the retroperitoneum or pelvis
• No rhabdomyosarcoma, extraosseous Ewing's sarcoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor, osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or aggressive fibromatosis
• No sarcoma that does not allow sparing of two-thirds of 1 kidney within planned irradiation field
• Radiographically measurable disease greater than 5 cm (T2) by CT scan or MRI of the abdomen and pelvis
• High-grade (grade 3/3, 3/4, 4/4) disease greater than 5 cm OR
• Moderate-grade (grade 2/3, 2/4) recurrent disease greater than 10 cm
• Eligible for gross total resection (R0 or R1)
• No prior subtotal (R2) resection
• Partial debulking OR subtotal tumor resection with residual gross disease
• Fewer than 4 equivocal pulmonary lesions each less than 3 mm in diameter by CT scan
• No multifocal disease suggestive of regional nodal involvement
• No metastases
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• Not specified
• Performance status:
• Zubrod 0-2
• Life expectancy:
• At least 2 years
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL
• AST no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal
• Albumin at least 3.5 g/dL
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.6 mg/dL
• Two functional kidneys
• Cardiovascular:
• No congestive heart failure
• No myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
• No New York Heart Association class III or IV heart disease
• Ejection fraction at least 50%
• Other:
• No other malignancy within the past 5 years except surgically treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
• No serious medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude study entry
• No obvious bowel obstruction
• No hypersensitivity to E. coli-derived products
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• Oral caloric intake at least 1,500 kCal/day
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• Not specified
• Chemotherapy:
• No prior doxorubicin or ifosfamide
• No prior chemotherapy for sarcoma
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• No prior abdominal or pelvic irradiation
• Surgery:
• See Disease Characteristics