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Local toddler diagnosed with rare testicular cancer as family searches for answers

By and
Updated  September 3, 2024 6:03pm MST
Health
FOX 10 Phoenix

Local infant battles rare testicular cancer

A local infant and his family are now dealing with the harsh diagnosis of a rare form of testicular cancer his parents discovered while simply changing the boy's diapers. FOX 10's Danielle Miller has the story.

The Brief

    • A 15-month-old infant was diagnosed with a rare form of testicular cancer after weeks of uncertainty.
    • Three weeks ago, his parents identified a growth in the boy's groin area and after a couple of misdiagnoses, the nightmarish news that their firstborn son had cancer became a reality.

PHOENIX - A local toddler was diagnosed with rare form of testicular cancer in a crushing medical development for him and his family.

They are now searching for answers and hope as they take on this journey. 

"Adam is giving me the courage to continue smiling, even if it feels hard," said Amanda Rubin, the mother of 15-month-old Adam Rubin.

Nightmare scenario becomes fearful reality

It's the reality no parent wants to live through, learning your child has cancer. 

Alex and Amanda Rubin are now learning that new fearful reality. 

It was about three weeks ago their journey began after a few diaper changes on their firstborn son. 

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15-month-old Adam Rubin is fighting for his life after being diagnosed with a rare form of testicular cancer. (Photos courtesy of Alex and Amanda Rubin)

"We started to notice some swelling in his groin and from a medical standpoint we weren't sure how fast a groin should grow," said Alex.

From there it got worse so they reached out to their pediatrician. 

At first it was diagnosed as an infection and he was put on antibiotics. 

That didn't solve the problem, so they quickly met with a urologist for an ultrasound. 

Doctor says "the tumor was about 15-times larger than a testicle should be"

"The doctors from Phoenix Children's Hospital said there was no infection or any issues with that. They have no reason to believe that this is not a tumor on his left testicle," said Alex.

After blood work and surgery, it was confirmed the growth was a malignant form of a cancerous germ cell tumor. 

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"Our doctor told us that the tumor was about 15-times larger than a testicle should be, which is very scary," said Alex.  

The family now waits for further answers from an oncologist and testing. From there, they will learn what their next steps are. 

Advice for other parents: trust your gut

They say leading up to this, Adam wasn't in pain and didn't show any signs of discomfort. 

Their advice to other parents is to always trust your gut. 

"It’s better to seek advice. It’s better to ask the questions. It’s better to make this phone call to the doctor and just say hey what is this? Is this something that we should be concerned about?" Alex said. 

The family has set up a GoFundMe page for support.

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