DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Serologically diagnosed HIV infection as documented by a positive ELISA and confirmed with a Western Blot, other federally approved HIV diagnostic test, or HIV viral load measurement

• Histologically confirmed Kaposi's sarcoma, by biopsy, with any of the following:

  • Progressive cutaneous disease
  • Symptomatic oropharyngeal or conjunctival lesions
  • Any visceral involvement
  • Tumor-related lymphedema
  • Tumor-related ulceration or pain
• Measurable disease

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• ECOG 0-2

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,000/mm^3 (with or without use of colony-stimulating factors)
• Platelet count at least 50,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin at least 8 g/dL

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• SGOT or SGPT no greater than 5 times ULN

Renal:

• Creatinine no greater than 2.1 mg/dL

Cardiovascular:

• No history of cardiac insufficiency (New York Heart Association class II-IV heart disease)

Neurological:

• No neuropsychiatric history of altered mental status

Other:

• No known sensitivity to E. coli derived proteins
• No active, untreated infection
• No prior or concurrent malignancy other than curatively treated carcinoma in situ of the cervix or basal/squamous cell carcinoma of the skin
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Effective contraception required of all fertile patients

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Concurrent erythropoietin allowed
• Prior filgrastim allowed

Chemotherapy:

• No prior systemic chemotherapy for Kaposi's sarcoma

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• No prior radiotherapy to marker lesions
• At least 7 days since prior radiotherapy
• No concurrent radiotherapy

Surgery:

• Not specified

Other:

• Must be on stable antiretroviral therapy for greater than 14 days prior to study
• Concurrent maintenance therapy for opportunistic infections allowed
• Concurrent antibiotics are allowed as long as dose and schedule have been stable for at least 1 week prior to study and absolute neutrophil count is stable
• Patients with CD4 counts less than 200 cell/mm3 or less than 15% CD4 lymphocyte must be receiving some form of PCP prophylaxis