DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically proven liposarcoma that is incurable with standard multimodality approaches (e.g., surgery and/or radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy)

  • Well differentiated OR
  • Dedifferentiated OR
  • Myxoid/round cell OR
  • Pleomorphic
• Measurable disease
• No clinically unstable brain metastases
• No progression on prior troglitazone therapy for liposarcoma

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• At least 3 months

Hematopoietic:

• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm3
• Platelet count at least 90,000/mm3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• SGOT less than 5 times upper limit of normal

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 2.4 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

• No poorly controlled atrial arrhythmias, symptomatic angina pectoris, or myocardial infarction within the past 4 months
• No symptomatic congestive heart failure, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, or coronary artery bypass graft within the past 3 months

Other:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test

• Fertile patients must use effective barrier contraception

  • Oral contraceptives are not considered effective contraception
• No active retroviral disease
• No condition that would preclude informed consent

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Prior chemotherapy allowed and recovered
• No concurrent cytotoxic therapy

Endocrine therapy:

• No concurrent hormonal therapy

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Prior radiotherapy allowed and recovered
• At least 6 months since prior radiotherapy to the sole site of measurable disease
• Concurrent localized radiotherapy to a single site of disease allowed if there are other sites of measurable disease

Surgery:

• Not specified