Cisplatin and Ifosfamide Combined With Either Paclitaxel or Vinblastine in Treating Men With Progressive or Recurrent Metastatic Germ Cell Tumors

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