DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed invasive, recurrent, or metastatic thymoma or thymic carcinoma not amenable to potentially curative therapy by surgery

  • Extensive disease (distant disease, pleural disease, pulmonary with or without mediastinal disease, or recurrent progressive disease in site of prior radiotherapy)
  • Advanced limited disease allowed if ineligible for primary radiotherapy or surgery
• Measurable disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-1

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Granulocyte count at least 1,500 cells/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000 cells/mm^3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 mg/dL

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL

Other:

• No acute concurrent complications such as infection or post-surgical complications
• No other prior malignancy within the past 5 years unless curatively treated with no evidence of recurrence
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• No prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease
• Prior preoperative or adjuvant chemotherapy allowed if disease-free survival prior to recurrence was more than 1 year

Endocrine therapy:

• Concurrent corticosteroids for myasthenia gravis or other chronic conditions allowed

Radiotherapy:

• See Disease Characteristics
• No concurrent local radiotherapy for pain control or life threatening situations

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics