Combination Chemotherapy Plus Peripheral Stem Cell Transplantation in Treating Patients With Relapsed Germ Cell Cancer

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Evaluable germ cell cancer (measurable by radiographic study and/or serum tumor marker elevation) and not curable by standard salvage therapy OR viable cancer on resection of post-chemotherapy residual masses in either intermediate or high risk category
• Bidimensionally measurable disease with measurements performed within 21 days of study entry
• Tumor marker (alpha-fetoprotein, lactate dehydrogenase, beta-human chorionic gonadotropin) studies performed within 7 days prior to study entry
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• 16 and over
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 70-100%
• Life expectancy:
• Not specified
• Hematopoietic:
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 120,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.6 mg/dL
• SGOT and SGPT no greater than 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• No active hepatitis or cirrhosis
• Renal:
• Creatinine clearance at least 70 mL/min
• Cardiovascular:
• Ejection fraction (MUGA or echocardiogram) normal
• No EKG evidence of active cardiac disease (arrhythmias, ischemia) which would contraindicate etoposide and paclitaxel study treatment
• Pulmonary:
• PaO\_2 at least 70 mm Hg
• FEV\_1 at least 2 L or 75%
• No history of bleomycin associated or serious lung disease
• Neurologic:
• No steroid or glucocorticoid treatment for patients with CNS metastatic disease; at least 1 month with stable post-radiotherapy neurological status and seizure free; if prior seizures, at least 1 month with therapeutic anticonvulsant levels prior to study
• Prior peripheral neuropathy requires consultation with principal investigator
• Other:
• No significant active medical illness precluding study or survival
• Not HIV positive
• No prior malignancy within past 5 years except for adequately treated basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer
• No prior hematologic malignancies
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• No prior bone marrow or stem cell rescue with high-dose chemotherapy
• Chemotherapy:
• Prior chemotherapy allowed, excluding high-dose therapy with bone marrow or stem cell rescue
• No prior paclitaxel
• Endocrine therapy:
• Not specified
• Radiotherapy:
• No concurrent radiotherapy during study
• Surgery:
• Recovered from prior surgery