DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Histologically proven poor-risk, nonseminoma germ cell tumor

* Must meet 1 of the following 3 conditions:

* Testis or retroperitoneal primary site without visceral metastasis but with any of the following tumor marker values:

* Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) greater than 10 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) greater than 50,000 IU/L
* Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) greater than 10,000 ng/mL
* Testis or retroperitoneal primary site with 1 or more nonpulmonary visceral metastases (regardless of tumor marker values), including the following:

* Bone
* Brain
* Liver
* Other nonpulmonary viscera (e.g., skin, spleen)
* Mediastinal primary site, regardless of presence/absence of visceral metastasis or tumor marker values OR
* Histologically proven intermediate-risk, nonseminoma germ cell tumor

* Testis or retroperitoneal primary site with no visceral metastasis (except lung), and with any of the following tumor marker values:

* LDH 3-10 times ULN
* hCG 5,000-50,000 IU/L
* AFP 1,000-10,000 ng/mL OR
* Histologically proven intermediate-risk, seminoma germ cell tumor with 1 or more nonpulmonary visceral metastases (regardless of tumor marker values or primary site), including the following:

* Bone
* Brain
* Liver
* Other nonpulmonary visceral metastasis (e.g., skin, spleen)
* Histologic confirmation may be delayed, at the discretion of the protocol chairman, until after initiation of study therapy for patients with a testicular mass and elevated AFP or hCG if medical circumstances warrant immediate treatment
* Measurable or evaluable disease
* Concurrent registration on protocol MSKCC-89076 (SWOG-9345) for tumor biology studies required

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

Age:

* 12 and over

Sex:

* Male

Performance status:

* Not specified

Life expectancy:

* Not specified

Hematopoietic:

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

Hepatic:

* See Disease Characteristics

Renal:

* Creatinine no greater than ULN\* OR
* Creatinine clearance greater than 50 mL/min\* NOTE: \* Abnormal levels due to ureteral obstruction by tumor allowed at the discretion of the protocol chairman

Other:

* HIV negative
* No other concurrent malignancy except nonmelanomatous skin cancer

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

Biologic therapy:

* Not specified

Chemotherapy:

* No prior chemotherapy
* No other concurrent chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

* Not specified

Radiotherapy:

* At least 30 days since prior radiotherapy except for brain metastases or documented disease progression
* Recovered from the toxic effects of any prior radiotherapy

Surgery:

* Recovered from the effects of any recent surgery