Surgery and/or Chemotherapy in Treating Children With Infantile, Congenital, or Childhood Fibrosarcoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

   - Histologically confirmed infantile, congenital, or pediatric fibrosarcoma

      - Initial biopsy or surgery performed within the past 35 days

   - No evidence of distant metastases

   - Available tissue for central review

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

   - Under 2 at diagnosis

Performance status

   - Zubrod Score (ECOG)

Life expectancy

   - At least 8 weeks

Hematopoietic

   - Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm^3

   - Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3*

   - Hemoglobin at least 10.0 g/dL* NOTE: *Transfusions allowed

Hepatic

   - Total bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) (patients over 4
   weeks of age)

      - Patients under 4 weeks of age with an indirect hyperbilirubinemia are eligible,
      provided the following criteria are met:

         - At least 2 bilirubin values at separate timepoints show a decrease in
         measurement

         - Direct bilirubin is no greater than 20% of the total bilirubin

   - Direct bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times ULN

   - Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) less than 2.5 times ULN

Renal

   - Creatinine clearance or radioisotope glomerular filtration rate at least 70 mL/min

PRIOR/CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

   - No concurrent sargramostim (GM-CSF)

Chemotherapy

   - No prior chemotherapy

   - No other concurrent anticancer chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

   - Not specified

Radiotherapy

   - No prior or concurrent radiotherapy except emergent radiotherapy for impending
   tracheal compression

Surgery

   - See Disease Characteristics