DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Patients must fulfill all of the following criteria for 1 of the following diagnoses:

  • Nonseminoma germ cell tumor (intermediate risk)

    • Testis or retroperitoneal primary
    • Abnormal markers (alpha fetoprotein [AFP] > 1,000 and < 10,000 ng/mL, human chorionic gonadotropin [HCG] > 5,000 and < 50,000 IU/L, lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] > 1.5 times and < 10 times upper limit of normal [ULN])
    • No liver, bone, brain, or other nonpulmonary visceral metastasis
    • Histologic confirmation is not required if AFP or HCG are grossly elevated

  • Nonseminoma germ cell tumor (poor prognosis) meeting 1 of the following criteria:

    • Mediastinal primary
    • Nonpulmonary visceral metastases
    • Poor markers (AFP > 10,000 ng/mL, HCG > 50,000 IU/L, LDH > 10 times ULN)
    • Histologic confirmation not required if AFP or HCG are grossly elevated

  • Seminoma (intermediate prognosis)

    • Histological confirmation is required
    • Any primary site
    • Nonpulmonary visceral metastases must be present
    • Normal AFP
    • Any HCG
    • Any LDH

  • Surveillance relapse

    • Must fulfill appropriate criteria above according to initial histology

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Neutrophil count ≥ 1,000/mm³
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
• Must have adequate renal function (creatinine clearance ≥ 60 mL/min)
• No prior malignancy except basal cell carcinoma

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• No prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy