OBJECTIVES: I. Assess whether patients with high-grade soft tissue sarcoma (STS) treated with neoadjuvant mesna/doxorubicin/ifosfamide/dacarbazine (MAID) plus radiotherapy in a cooperative group setting exhibit a response rate, toxicity, and complication rate comparable to those seen in pilot data collected by the Massachusetts General Hospital. II. Assess local control and local complications related to surgery and neoadjuvant MAID plus radiotherapy in these patients. III. Develop a tissue repository of frozen STS for ancillary genetic and flow cytometric analysis of these tumors. IV. Form an Intergroup Working Sarcoma Group that will develop a patient base, relationships, and support for the future development and completion of a phase III study of adjuvant therapy for STS.