Brostallicin or Doxorubicin as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Relapsed, Refractory, or Metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically or cytologically confirmed high- or intermediate-grade malignant soft tissue sarcoma\* of 1 of the following cellular types:

  * Adipocytic (e.g., liposarcoma dedifferentiated, myxoid/round cell, pleomorphic, mixed-type, not otherwise specified)
  * Fibroblastic (e.g., adult fibrosarcoma, myxofibrosarcoma, or sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma)
  * So-called fibrohistiocytic (e.g., pleomorphic malignant fibrous histiocytoma \[MFH\], giant cell MFH, or inflammatory MFH)
  * Leiomyosarcoma
  * Malignant glomus tumors
  * Skeletal muscle (e.g., rhabdomyosarcoma, alveolar, or pleomorphic)
  * Vascular (e.g., epithelioid hemangioendothelioma or angiosarcoma)
  * Uncertain differentiation (e.g., synovial, epithelioid, alveolar soft part, clear cell, desmoplastic small round cell, extra-renal rhabdoid, malignant mesenchymoma, perivascular epithelioid cell tumor \[PEComa\], or intimal sarcoma)
  * Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors
  * Malignant solitary fibrous tumors
  * Undifferentiated soft tissue sarcomas not otherwise specified
  * Other types of sarcoma if approved by the study coordinator NOTE: \*Includes malignant tumors of non-organ origin and skin and uterine leiomyosarcoma
* The following tumor types are excluded:

  * Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma
  * Chondrosarcoma
  * Osteosarcoma
  * Ewing tumors/primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET)
  * Gastrointestinal stromal tumors
  * Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
  * Inflammatory myofibroblastic sarcoma
  * Neuroblastoma
  * Malignant mesothelioma
  * Mixed mesodermal tumors of the uterus
* Relapsed, refractory, and/or metastatic disease incurable by surgery or radiotherapy
* Measurable disease
* Must have formalin fixed paraffin-embedded tumor blocks and representative hematoxylin/eosin slides available for histological central review
* No symptomatic or known CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* At least 60 years of age OR ≥ 18 years of age if patient is not suitable for intensive combination chemotherapy treatments
* WHO performance status 0-1
* Absolute neutrophil count \> 2,000/mm³
* Platelet count \> 100,000/mm³
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* Alkaline phosphatase ≤ 2.5 times ULN
* Creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min
* No serious cardiac illness within the past 6 months, including, but not limited to the following:

  * History of documented congestive heart failure
  * High-risk uncontrolled arrhythmias
  * Angina pectoris requiring antianginal medication
  * Clinically significant valvular heart disease
  * Evidence of transmural infarction on ECG
  * Poorly-controlled hypertension (e.g., systolic blood pressure \[BP\] \> 180 mm Hg or diastolic BP \> 100 mm Hg)
* Normal 12-lead ECG
* LVEF normal by MUGA or echocardiogram
* No other malignancy within the past 3 years except adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix or breast
* No other serious and/or unstable medical condition, illness, or lab abnormality that would preclude study participation
* No psychiatric illness or familial, social, or geographical condition that would preclude study compliance
* No active uncontrolled infection
* No known AIDS positivity
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior chemotherapy regimen for advanced or metastatic disease (neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy allowed)
* No concurrent sargramostim (GM-CSF) except in cases of febrile neutropenia
* No other concurrent anticancer therapy or investigational agents, including any of the following:

  * Chemotherapy
  * Biological response modifiers
  * Hormone therapy
  * Immunotherapy
* No other concurrent clinical treatment trial participation