Inclusion Criteria

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