Facing Fires and Cancer
Oct 13, 2026
Read Time: 5 Minutes
Takeaways: Bob Silverthorne was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma after his fellow firefighter encouraged him to get a lump in his armpit checked out. He now tells his story to firehouses across the country to encourage firefighters to get screened for cancer as well as take measures for cancer prevention. Impact: Through research and early detection initiatives, Huntsman Cancer Institute is working to identify cancer sooner and improve outcomes for people at increased risk.
At 35 years old, Bob Silverthorne was a healthy, active firefighter. So, when he noticed a small, almond-sized lump in his armpit, he didn’t give it much thought. Between shifts on the Salt Lake City Fire Department’s Heavy Rescue Team and raising two young children, a trip to the doctor over what he thought was a harmless bump wasn’t high on his priority list. Until one day at the fire station when he showed it to a few fellow firefighters as a joke. “In true firefighter fashion, we like to try to make things entertaining at the firehouse, so I pushed this little lump to the surface of my skin just to elicit a reaction,” Bob remembers. The reaction wasn’t what he expected. Instead of laughing, his medic partner urged him to get the lump checked out.
“I brushed it off,” Bob says. “But then I started thinking about it. This was someone I trusted, and he cared enough to bring it up. So, I decided to go to my doctor.”
More Than a Harmless Lump
Bob during chemotherapy
At the appointment, Bob expected reassurance that the lump was nothing to worry about. Instead, his doctors discovered something even more concerning. “Unbeknownst to me, I had a handball-sized mass deeper in my armpit that I knew nothing about,” Bob recalls. Further testing and a biopsy confirmed the diagnosis: Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that forms in the lymphatic system. Bob began chemotherapy soon after his diagnosis in 2008. At the same time, he wanted to better understand his disease and the treatment options available to him. “I decided that in order to do my due diligence I would bounce my case off another doctor,” he says. That search for answers led him to Huntsman Cancer Institute, where he transferred his care after initially being treated at another cancer center. At Huntsman Cancer Institute, he found a collaborative multidisciplinary team focused on helping him find the best path forward. “That’s what I really appreciated about Huntsman Cancer Institute, the team approach of reviewing cases and everyone working together,” he says. “My care team spelled out the pros and cons of different treatments and allowed me to make the best decision for myself in teamwork with them.” They ultimately recommended continuing with chemotherapy for three months, then moving to radiation therapy, because the cancer remained localized to the lymph nodes in his left armpit. With a treatment plan in place, Bob finished chemotherapy then began daily radiation treatments for the next three weeks. Finally, the doctors removed the small lump that Bob initially came in for.
Ground Zero
As he underwent treatment, Bob found himself reflecting on moments in his firefighting career that may have increased his risk for cancer.
One in particular stood out. Seven years earlier, Bob had been deployed to Ground Zero as part of Utah's Urban Search and Rescue Team to help with the recovery efforts following the September 11 attacks. In the days after the attack, he and other first responders worked in conditions few could have imagined. For 10 days, Bob spent long hours on the pile sifting through the rubble, helping search for survivors and recover victims. “None of us really knew the extent of the hot zone of dust, debris, and smoke that we were in and how people would be impacted by that,” Bob says. In the years following, researchers began documenting increased rates of certain cancers among 9/11 first responders. Bob also learned that another member of the team developed lymphoma.
Bob at Ground Zero as part of Utah's Urban Search and Rescue Team
Eventually, Bob’s lymphoma was certified through the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program as a WTC-related cancer. The federal program monitors and covers treatment for health conditions linked to 9/11. “It’s pretty much a 100% chance that I got it from my deployment to New York,” he says. “But even knowing that now, I still would have gone, but I would have taken measures in more appropriate personal protective equipment, knowing the exposure risk. It’s our job.”
Advocating for Screening
Bob after surgery to remove the lump in his armpit
Bob points out that even if he wasn’t deployed to Ground Zero, he was still at risk for developing cancer. “First, anyone can get cancer,” he says. “Secondly, as firefighters, we’re exposed to smoke and carcinogens. Whether it’s that or other stuff that comes with the job like sleep deprivation and stress, all those other things can increase our risk for cancer.” For Bob, his cancer was caught relatively early, and the chemotherapy, radiation and surgeries to his armpit was successful. But his outcome could have been very different had he ignored his coworker's advice to get the lump checked out. Combined with seeing fellow firefighters diagnosed with cancer, and in some cases lose their lives to the disease, that reality has fueled his passion for cancer screening, early detection, and prevention. More than 18 years later, he remains cancer-free. He served for 14 years as a captain and is now a Division Chief for the Salt Lake City Fire Department, overseeing the Community Relations Division.
"While I’m still here and have a voice, I’m going to keep sharing my story with other firefighters. … Get screened. Be your own advocate for your health. Get second and third opinions, and don’t be afraid to ask questions."
He also serves on the Utah Firefighter Cancer Initiative, which helps firefighters access cancer screenings and support. “Us as firefighters we need more surveillance and deeper surveillance than your general population,” he says. “Screening saves lives. People are finding cancers earlier, which is amazing.” In addition to his work with the initiative, Bob shares his story with fire departments across the country. “While I'm still here and have a voice, I’m going to keep sharing my story with other firefighters,” he says. Whether someone is a firefighter or not, Bob hopes they remember the advice that changed the course of his own life: “Get screened. Be your own advocate for your health. Get second and third opinions, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
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