DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically confirmed germ cell tumor (GCT), including 1 of the following primary tumor sites:

  • Seminoma

    • Testis
    • Retroperitoneum
    • Mediastinum
    • Other extragonadal site

  • Nonseminoma

    • Testis
    • Retroperitoneum

    • Other extragonadal site

      • No tumor of the mediastinum

• Must have evidence of metastatic disease, including either of the following:

  • Unidimensionally measurable lesions

    • At least 20 mm by conventional techniques (e.g., physical exam for clinically palpable lymph nodes and superficial skin lesions or chest x-ray for clearly defined lung lesions surrounded by aerated lung) OR at least 10 mm by spiral CT scan or MRI

  • Nonmeasurable lesions, including the following:

    • Small lesions
    • Bone lesions
    • Pleural or pericardial effusions
    • Ascites
    • Irradiated lesions, unless progression is documented after radiotherapy

• Progressive or recurrent disease meeting at least 1 of the following criteria:

  • Measurable progressive disease
  • Biopsy-proven residual disease
  • Persistently elevated or rising ß-human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) or alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) titers with no other clear cause for elevation

• Previously treated with 1 and only 1 regimen comprising etoposide and cisplatin with or without bleomycin AND exhibits clinical resistance by at least 1 of the following conditions after therapy*:

  • Progressive GCT after a partial response to first-line therapy
  • Relapse after complete response (CR) to first-line therapy, including partial response (PR) surgically converted to CR
  • Second testicular primary with evidence of metastases after first-line therapy
  • Relapse after adjuvant chemotherapy NOTE: *Patients failing to achieve PR or CR with first-line therapy as evidenced by rising markers or new disease within 4 weeks of first-line therapy are not eligible

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age

• 18 and over

Performance status

• Not specified

Life expectancy

• Not specified

Hematopoietic

• Granulocyte count ≥ 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin ≥ 9 g/dL (transfusion allowed)

Hepatic

• Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal* (ULN)
• AST and ALT ≤ 2.5 times ULN* NOTE: *Unless hepatic metastases are present

Renal

• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 times ULN OR
• Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min

Other

• Fertile patients must use effective contraception

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy

• No prior dose-intensive therapy with stem cell replacement

Chemotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior chemotherapy
• No prior paclitaxel
• No prior docetaxel
• No prior ifosfamide
• No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy

• Not specified

Radiotherapy

• See Disease Characteristics
• At least 3 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Concurrent or sequential radiotherapy to brain metastases allowed
• No other concurrent palliative radiotherapy

Surgery

• See Disease Characteristics
• Concurrent surgery for brain metastases allowed

Other

• Recovered from prior therapy