Sorafenib, Epirubicin, Ifosfamide, and Radiation Therapy Followed By Surgery in Treating Patients With High-Risk Stage II or Stage III Soft Tissue Sarcoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically confirmed soft tissue sarcoma of the upper (including shoulder) or lower (including hip) extremities or body wall
* Stage II or III disease, as defined by the following:

  * Tumor dimension \> 5 cm
  * Superficial or deep tumor
  * Intermediate or high-grade disease
  * No regional lymph node involvement
  * No distant metastases
* No rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET), osteosarcoma, or gastrointestinal stromal tumor

  * Pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma allowed
* No known metastases

  * Patients with neurological symptoms must undergo a CT scan or MRI of the brain to exclude brain metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-1
* Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) ≥ 1,500/μL
* Hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/μL
* International Normalized Ratio (INR) \< 1.5 or Prothrombin Time/Partial Thromboplastin Time (PT/PTT) normal
* Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
* Aspartate Aminotransferase/Alanine Aminotransferase (AST/ALT) ≤ 1.5 times ULN
* Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) ≥ 50%
* Not pregnant or nursing
* Negative pregnancy test
* Fertile patients must use effective contraception (male patients must use effective contraception for ≥ 3 months after completion of study treatment)
* No contraindications to limb-sparing surgery
* No severe peripheral vascular disease
* No concurrent uncontrolled illness including, but not limited to, the following:

  * Ongoing or active serious infection \> Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Effects (CTCAE) grade 2
  * Symptomatic congestive heart failure
  * Unstable angina pectoris (i.e., angina symptoms at rest) or new onset angina within the past 3 months
  * Myocardial infarction within the past 6 months
  * Cardiac ventricular arrhythmia requiring anti-arrhythmic therapy
  * Psychiatric illness/social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements
* No uncontrolled hypertension (defined as systolic blood pressure \> 150 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure \> 90 mm Hg, despite optimal medical management)
* No known HIV infection or chronic hepatitis B or C infection
* No thrombolic or embolic events (e.g., cerebrovascular accident, including transient ischemic attacks) within the past 6 months
* No pulmonary hemorrhage or bleeding event ≥ CTCAE grade 2 within the past 4 weeks
* No other hemorrhage or bleeding event ≥ CTCAE grade 3 within the past 4 weeks
* No serious non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
* No evidence or history of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy
* No significant traumatic injury within the past 4 weeks
* No known or suspected allergy to sorafenib tosylate or any agent given in the study
* No condition that would impair the ability to swallow whole pills
* No malabsorption problem
* No "currently active" second malignancy other than non-melanoma skin cancer

  * Not considered to have a "currently active" malignancy if patient completed therapy AND has a \< 30% risk of relapse

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* No prior chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or biotherapy
* More than 4 weeks since prior major surgery
* No concurrent St. John's wort or rifampin
* No other concurrent investigational or anticancer therapy
* Concurrent anticoagulation with warfarin or heparin allowed