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