Interferon Alfa and Thalidomide in Treating Patients With Soft Tissue Sarcoma or Bone Sarcoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed primary or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma or bone sarcoma at high risk of recurrence

  * Grade III-IV tumor greater than 8 cm
  * Grade III-IV primary tumor greater than 5 cm with positive surgical margins
  * Grade III-IV primary tumor greater than 5 cm with distant metastases resected within 1 year of primary surgery
* No more than 8 weeks since prior surgical resection of primary or metastatic disease
* Ineligible for other high priority national or institutional study

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 18 and over

Performance status:

* SWOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

* More than 2 months

Hematopoietic:

* WBC greater than 3,000/mm\^3
* Neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
* Platelet count greater than 70,000/mm\^3
* Hemoglobin at least 10.0 g/dL

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dL
* SGOT or SGPT less than 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)\*
* Alkaline phosphatase less than 3 times ULN\*
* No decompensated liver disease
* No autoimmune hepatitis
* No coagulation disorders NOTE: \* Unless due to metastatic disease

Renal:

* Creatinine normal

Cardiovascular:

* No history of severely debilitating cardiovascular disease
* No unstable angina
* No uncontrolled congestive heart failure
* No thrombophlebitis

Pulmonary:

* No history of severely debilitating pulmonary disease
* No chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
* No pulmonary embolism

Other:

* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use 2 forms of effective contraception for 4 weeks before, during, and for 4 weeks after study
* No acute infection requiring systemic antibiotics
* No prior hypersensitivity to interferon alfa or any component of the injection
* No diabetes mellitus prone to ketoacidosis
* No severe myelosuppression
* No history of autoimmune disease
* No pre-existing thyroid abnormalities with thyroid function that cannot be maintained in the normal range
* No clinically significant retinal abnormalities
* No other serious medical or psychiatric illness that would preclude study
* No prior malignancy except curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* Not specified

Chemotherapy:

* Prior systemic chemotherapy allowed

Endocrine therapy:

* Not specified

Radiotherapy:

* Prior radiotherapy allowed

Surgery:

* See Disease Characteristics