Carboplatin, Etoposide, Cyclophosphamide, and Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed, measurable germ cell cancer relapsed or refractory after frontline therapy with cisplatin and etoposide-containing chemotherapy
• Other chemotherapy-sensitive solid tumors eligible (as of 06/11/97)
• Possibility of residual mass representing benign teratoma must be excluded
• Elevated serum tumor markers only are acceptable if possibilities of false-positive serum tumor markers or sanctuary disease have been excluded
• Also eligible after two to four cycles of conventional dose salvage chemotherapy, regardless of response
• No CNS or bone marrow involvement

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 18 and over

Performance status:

• Karnofsky 60-100%

Life expectancy:

• Greater than 2 months

Hematopoietic:

• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3
• Neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3

Hepatic:

• Bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, SGOT, and SGPT less than 3 times upper limit of normal, unless due to disease

Renal:

• Creatinine less than 1.5 times upper limit of normal
• Creatinine clearance at least 60 ml/min

Cardiovascular:

• Ventricular ejection fraction at least 45%
• No uncontrolled or severe cardiovascular disease including recent myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, angina, life-threatening arrhythmia, or hypertension

Pulmonary:

• DLCO and spirometry greater than 50% of predicted

Other:

• Not HIV positive
• No active peptic ulcer
• No uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
• No active infection
• No previous or concomitant malignancy other than curatively treated basal or squamous cell carcinoma of the skin
• Not HBsAG positive

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

• No prior high-dose carboplatin, etoposide, or cyclophosphamide

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• Not specified

Surgery:

• Not specified