Patients receive cisplatin IV over 4 hours followed by etoposide IV over 30-60 minutes on days 1-5. Treatment continues every 3 weeks for 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of 4 courses, patients with nongerminoma who achieve complete response (CR) and all patients with germinoma proceed to radiotherapy. After completion of 4 courses, patients with nongerminoma who achieve less than CR undergo resection of any residual cranial masses, if feasible, and then proceed to radiotherapy. Patients who experience disease progression or unacceptable toxicity during chemotherapy are restaged and proceed directly to radiotherapy.