James Jablonowski lived a life serving others, with a risk to himself. He’s a retired Chicago firefighter and veteran whose years of service increased his risk for a wide range of cancers.
Exposure to aerosolized chemicals — from inhaling the smoke at fires and exposure to diesel fumes — may increase the risk of cancers in first responders.
“Our union offered a blood test to screen for a series of cancers,” says the 71-year-old, a lifelong resident of Chicago’s Northwest Side. “It picked up something that was concerning in the bloodwork. My primary care provider told me I better get checked out by a urologist.”
The follow-up testing (including ultrasound and X-rays) showed that Jim had kidney cancer. And his first doctors didn’t inspire confidence when they recommended surgery as the first line of treatment.
“Those were the worst 10 days of my life,” Jim says. “And I fought fires for 42 years and served in the U.S. military in Thailand. I knew I had to get a second opinion.”
A trusted partner and curative surgery
In part because of his prior positive experience with a Rush cardiologist, Jim made an appointment with Morgan Salkowski, MD, a urologist at Rush. This third appointment gave him more information about his tumor and a path forward that he felt confident in.
“His tumor was pretty deep inside the kidney on imaging,” Salkowski says. “We could have tried removing the kidney partially, but the risks included leaving part of the tumor behind, bleeding or spread of the cancer into the urinary system."
Because Jim’s kidney function was otherwise normal, he and Salkowski decided on removal of the entire kidney, known as a nephrectomy. Jim felt secure in his decision because he trusted Salkowski.
“From the initial appointment, she answered all of my questions and didn’t rush me,” Jim said. “She was so caring and so good. I decided to go with her.”
Salkowski knows that, especially for a cancer diagnosis, finding the right doctor matters.
“I tell everyone to get a second opinion,” Salkowski says. “If you’re going to have surgery, you want to feel comfortable you’re doing the right thing. You want to go into it without regrets.”
Jim had his kidney removed in the spring of 2026. Salkowski used the latest surgical robot platform to perform Jim’s nephrectomy. This meant a lower bleeding risk, better visualization for the surgeon and less pain for Jim.
“Everybody was fantastic,” Jim says. “From the pre-op to my nurse to the guy cleaning my toilet, everyone asked how they could help me.”
Recovery and advocacy
After a night in the hospital, Jim went home without any issues. Best of all, the pathology report two weeks later showed a low chance of cancer coming back or causing any problems. He did not need chemotherapy or radiation.
For Jim, the difference in care from Salkowski made a huge difference in his peace of mind.
“I call her my angel,” said Jim. “I end up talking about this with other firemen, letting them know I got a great urologist and that everything at Rush was wonderful.”
With a clean bill of health, Jim also refocused on how to make sure other firefighters have access to screening. From talking with other retired firefighters to sharing screening information on his popular Facebook page, Jim works within his circles to raise awareness. Most kidney cancers have no symptoms until they are at an advanced stage. Raising awareness of the increased risk of cancer in firefighters can make a difference.
“The screenings are just so important,” Jim said. “I didn’t have any symptoms at all, and we don’t know what’s lurking under the surface for other firemen out there.”
