Vincristine, Dactinomycin, and Cyclophosphamide in Treating Patients With Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Diagnosis of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma * Primary operation for pathological diagnosis within the past 42 days * The following variants are eligible: * Botryoid * Spindle cell * Anaplastic * Meets 1 of the following stage criteria: * Stage I, clinical group II (N1) * Favorable site * Any tumor size * Microscopic residual disease * Lymph nodes clinically positive * Stage I, clinical group III (N1) * Favorable site (orbit only) * Any tumor size * Gross residual disease * Lymph nodes clinically positive * Stage I, clinical group III (N0, NX, N1) * Favorable site (except orbit) * Any tumor size * Gross residual disease * Lymph nodes clinically negative, involvement unknown, or positive * Stage II, clinical group II (N0, NX) * Unfavorable site * Small tumor (≤ 5 cm in diameter) * Microscopic residual disease * Stage III, clinical group I or II (N0, NX, N1) * Unfavorable site * Small tumor (≤ 5 cm in diameter) with positive nodes or large tumor (\> 5 cm in diameter) with any lymph nodes status * Completely resected or microscopic residual disease PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Performance status * 0-3 Life expectancy * Not specified Hematopoietic * WBC ≥ 2,000/mm\^3 * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * Hemoglobin ≥ 7.5 g/dL Hepatic * SGOT and SGPT ≤ 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Bilirubin ≤ 2.5 times ULN * Bile acid ≤ 2.5 times ULN Renal * Creatinine based on age as follows: * ≤ 0.8 mg/dL (for patients \< 5 years of age) * ≤ 1.2 mg/dL (for patients 5-9 years of age) * ≤ 1.5 mg/dL (for patients ≥ 10 years of age) Cardiovascular * No severe heart disease Other * Not pregnant or nursing * No uncontrolled infection * Must have acceptable organ function for age * No other malignancy within the past 5 years * No hypersensitivity attributed to study drugs * No Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease or chickenpox PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Chemotherapy * No prior anticancer chemotherapy Endocrine therapy * Prior anticancer steroids allowed Radiotherapy * Prior emergency radiotherapy allowed within the past 2 weeks Other * No concurrent pentostatin