RATIONALE: Imatinib mesylate may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for cancer cell growth.

PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of imatinib mesylate in treating patients who have metastatic or unresectable locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma or bone sarcoma.

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the efficacy of imatinib mesylate, as measured by response rate, in patients with metastatic or unresectable locally advanced soft tissue or bone sarcoma who have failed one or more prior treatment regimens.
• Determine the clinical and laboratory toxic effects of this drug in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to disease subtype.

Patients receive oral imatinib mesylate twice daily. Treatment continues for 1 year in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 60-120 patients (6-12 per stratum) will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically or cytologically confirmed metastatic or unresectable locally advanced (stage IV or recurrent) soft tissue or bone sarcoma

  • Eligible subtypes:

    • Ewing's family (e.g., primitive neuroectodermal tumor)
    • Osteosarcoma
    • Synovial sarcoma
    • Rhabdomyosarcoma (e.g., alveolar, embryonal, or pleomorphic)
    • Liposarcoma (all variants)
    • Malignant fibrous histiocytoma
    • Peripheral nerve sheath (e.g., malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, neurofibrosarcoma, or schwannoma)
    • Fibrosarcoma
    • Angiosarcoma (all variants)
  • Failed standard therapy with no available salvage regimens

• Unidimensionally measurable target lesions by x-ray, CT scan, MRI, PET, or physical examination

  • Must be outside prior irradiation fields or have documented disease progression at least 6 weeks after completion of prior radiotherapy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 10 and over

Performance status:

• Not specified

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Not specified

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 3 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• ALT and AST less than 2.5 times ULN

Renal:

• Creatinine less than 1.5 times ULN

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception during and for at least 1 week after study participation for female patients and for at least 3 months after study participation for male patients

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• Not specified

Endocrine therapy:

• No hormonal birth control

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy and recovered

Surgery:

• Not specified

Other:

• At least 28 days since any prior systemic therapy