DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Histologically proven germ cell tumor that is resistant to a platinum-based chemotherapy regimen

• Active disease meeting 1 of the following conditions:

  • Measurable or evaluable disease
  • Elevated serum tumor markers (alpha-fetoprotein or human chorionic gonadotropin)
  • Unresectable residual disease after postchemotherapy surgery

• Favorable prognostic factors for achieving a complete response (CR) to cisplatin-based salvage therapy required, including all of the following:

  • No more than 1 prior regimen or 6 prior courses of cisplatin
  • Testis or ovarian germ cell primary site
  • Prior CR to cisplatin therapy
  • Incomplete response to first-line therapy that was based on either carboplatin or a suboptimal regimen of cisplatin

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

• 15 and over

Performance status:

• Not specified

Life expectancy:

• Not specified

Hematopoietic:

• WBC at least 3,000/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin at least 8.0 g/dL

Hepatic:

• Not specified

Renal:

• Creatinine clearance greater than 50 mL/min
• Renal dysfunction due to ureteral obstruction by tumor allowed at the discretion of the principal investigator

Cardiovascular:

• If history of significant cardiac disease, evaluation and clearance by a cardiologist required prior to entry

Other:

• No active infection not well controlled on antibiotics

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

• Not specified

Chemotherapy:

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

Endocrine therapy:

• Not specified

Radiotherapy:

• Not specified

Surgery:

• See Disease Characteristics
• Recovered from recent surgery