RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known whether ifosfamide or doxorubicin is more effective for advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of ifosfamide with that of doxorubicin in treating patients who have advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma.

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the progression free survival rate in patients with advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma treated with either of two different regimens of ifosfamide or doxorubicin. II. Assess the toxic effects of these therapies and response rate in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are randomized into one of 3 arms (continuous ifosfamide, ifosfamide daily for 3 days, or doxorubicin). Patients are stratified by performance status (0 vs 1), liver involvement (no vs yes), histological type (leiomyosarcoma vs synovial sarcoma vs other), and histological grade (1 vs 2 vs 3). Arm I: Patients receive doxorubicin by bolus infusion for 5-20 minutes once every 3 weeks. Arm II: Patients receive ifosfamide by intravenous infusion for 4 hours on days 1, 2, and 3 every three weeks. Arm III: Patients receive ifosfamide by intravenous infusion for 72 hours every 3 weeks. Patients are assessed after every 2 courses of therapy. Each course of therapy consists of 3 weeks of treatment. Patients may receive a maximum of 6 courses of therapy in the absence of toxicity and disease progression. Patients are followed every 12 weeks for survival.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 780 patients (260 per treatment arm) will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically proven advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma including the following: Malignant fibrous histiocytoma Liposarcoma Rhabdomyosarcoma Synovial sarcoma Malignant paraganglioma Fibrosarcoma Leiomyosarcoma Angiosarcoma including haemangiopericytoma Neurogenic sarcoma Unclassified sarcoma Mixed mesodermal tumor of the uterus Measurable disease with evidence of progression in prior 6 weeks No symptomatic or known CNS metastases

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 15 to 65 Performance status: WHO 0-1 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: WBC at least 3000/mm3 Neutrophil count greater than 2,000/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater 1.75 mg/dL Albumin at least 25 g/L Renal: Creatinine clearance greater than 70 mL/min Cardiovascular: No history of uncontrolled cardiovascular disease Other: Fertile women must use effective contraception No other severe medical illness including psychosis No prior primary malignant tumor except: Adequately treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix Basal cell carcinoma

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: No prior chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: No radiotherapy to the sole index lesion Surgery: Not specified