Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Peripheral Stem Cell Transplant in Treating Men With Previously Untreated Germ Cell Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically proven germ cell cancer

  * Nonseminoma OR
  * Combined seminoma and nonseminoma
* Poor prognosis (nonseminoma):

  * Testis/retroperitoneal primary AND
  * One of the following poor tumor markers

    * AFP greater than 10,000 iu/L
    * HCG greater than 50,000 iu/L
    * LDH greater than 10 times upper limit of normal OR
  * Nonpulmonary visceral metastases (i.e., liver, bone, or brain) OR
  * Mediastinal primary

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 16 to 50

Sex:

* Male

Performance status:

* WHO 0-3

Life expectancy:

* Not specified

Hematopoietic:

* WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
* Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3

Hepatic:

* Bilirubin no greater than 1.25 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* AST no greater than 2 times ULN

Renal:

* Creatinine clearance at least 60 mL/min (unless due to obstructive uropathy correctable by nephrostomy)

Other:

* No other malignancy except basal cell skin cancer
* No neuropathy
* No other serious illness or medical condition
* No psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition that would prevent compliance

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* Not specified

Chemotherapy:

* No prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* Not specified

Radiotherapy:

* Concurrent radiotherapy for brain metastases allowed

Surgery:

* Concurrent surgery for brain metastases allowed