Brostallicin in Treating Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Inclusion criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed soft tissue sarcoma that is not amenable to surgery, radiotherapy, or combined modality therapy with curative intent * Stratum I * Malignant fibrous histiocytoma * Liposarcoma * Rhabdomyosarcoma * Synovial sarcoma * Malignant paraganglioma * Fibrosarcoma * Leiomyosarcoma * Angiosarcoma including hemangiopericytoma * Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor * Unclassified sarcoma * Miscellaneous sarcoma * Stratum II * Gastrointestinal stromal tumor * Previously treated with imatinib mesylate for locally advanced or metastatic disease and demonstrated disease progression * The following sarcoma types are excluded: * Mixed mesodermal tumors of the uterus (and carcinosarcoma) * Chondrosarcoma * Malignant mesothelioma * Neuroblastoma * Osteosarcoma * Ewing's sarcoma * Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma * At least one measurable lesion * Progressive disease after 1 prior anthracycline- and/or alkylating-containing chemotherapy regimen for locally advanced or metastatic disease * Clinical evidence of progression within 6 weeks prior to study treatment * No known or symptomatic CNS metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: * Over 15 Performance status: * WHO 0-1 Life expectancy: * Not specified Hematopoietic: * WBC at least 4,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3 Hepatic: * Bilirubin no greater than 1.25 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * SGPT and SGOT no greater than 3 times ULN * Alkaline phosphatase no greater than 2.5 times ULN Renal: * Creatinine no greater than 1.4 mg/dL OR * Creatinine clearance greater than 65 mL/min Cardiovascular: * No prior severe cardiovascular disease Other: * Not pregnant * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for up to 6 months after study * No other prior or concurrent malignancy except adequately treated basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix * No other severe medical illness * No psychosis PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: * No concurrent biologic response modifiers or immunotherapy * No concurrent prophylactic hematopoietic growth factors (e.g., filgrastim (G- CSF) or sargramostim (GM-CSF) Chemotherapy: * See Disease Characteristics * More than 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy and recovered * Prior adjuvant chemotherapy as first-line treatment allowed provided disease progressed within 6 months after the completion of chemotherapy * No prior ecteinascidin 743 (stratum I) * No other concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: * No concurrent hormonal therapy Radiotherapy: * See Disease Characteristics * Recovered from prior radiotherapy * No prior radiotherapy to sole measurable lesion * Concurrent palliative radiotherapy to nontarget lesions allowed at investigator's discretion Surgery: * See Disease Characteristics * Recovered from prior surgery Other: * No other concurrent anticancer therapy (approved or investigational) * No concurrent participation in any other clinical treatment study * No other concurrent investigational drugs