Darbepoetin Alfa in Patients With "Poor Prognosis" Germ Cell Tumor Treated With High-Dose Chemotherapy (HD-VIP)

Inclusion Criteria: * Poor prognosis" according IGCCCG-criteria: * Primary mediastinal tumor * Gonadal/retroperitoneal germ cell tumor with visceral metastases except of lung * Poor marker: AFP \> 10.000 ng/ml or beta-HCG \> 10.000 ng/ml (50.000 IU/l) andd LDH \>10 x upper normal limit * No previous chemotherapy * Age \> 18 years * Performance-Status: WHO =\< 2 * Written informed consent * Ability to give informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Hemolysis * Hematological disease with insufficient erythropoiesis * Patients without sufficient treatment of sideropenia, folate deficiency or vitamin B12 deficiency * Uncontrolled arterial hypertension * Treatment with rh-Erythropoetin during trial * Creatinin clearance \< 50 ml/min * Insufficient bone marrow function (WBC count \< 3.000/ml or platelets \< 100.000/µl) * Other major symptomatic or uncontrolled illnesses not allowing to complete treatment protocol with the exception of symptoms caused by the primary disease * Second malignancy, except of completely resected basal cell carcinoma of the skin