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Expert Leads KU Cancer Center
Gardner native Dr. Roy Jensen advocates for health equity in the area.
Article by Lucas Shivers
Photography by Kalli Jo Smith
Staying persistent is a personal motto for Dr. Roy Jensen, a world-renowned expert in hereditary breast cancer. As the director of the University of Kansas Cancer Center, Jensen tirelessly advocates for health equity in underserved communities. His work hasn’t gone unnoticed. He was awarded The Chamber Award by the Gardner Chamber of Commerce, giving the keynote presentation at the annual dinner in 2023. He was inducted into the Gardner Edgerton School’s Hall of Fame in 2024. The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the Johnson County Community College Foundation have also recognized Jensen’s work.
Jensen is also a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, a professor of cancer biology, and the William R. Jewel Distinguished Kansas Masonic Professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
“Our region needs a national center of excellence that allows people to stay close to home for treatment and be confident they are getting the best care possible,” Jensen says.
Jason Leib, president and CEO of the Gardner Chamber of Commerce, notes that Gardner is proud of Jensen and his dedication to enhancing patient care and inspiring future generations.
“Dr. Jensen has become known throughout the Kansas City region and the country for his work fighting cancer, and it’s great to have him be such an advocate for Gardner, remembering where he came from,” Leib says. “The community takes great pride in him and his accomplishments.”
Greatness from Gardner
Jensen grew up in Gardner and lived on Ott Lane until he was a sophomore in high school and his family moved to a farm south of town. He played basketball on the team that took fourth in the 1975 state tournament, and he graduated in 1976 from Gardner High School.
“I met my wife, Linda, in high school, and our first date was an Eric Clapton and Santana concert,” Jensen says.
The couple raised three sons, now married and living in Kansas City, Wichita, and Orange County, California.
Power of Learning
After signing a letter of intent to play basketball at Neosho County Community College, Jensen completed an associate degree before finishing his undergraduate studies at Pittsburg State University with a double major in chemistry and biology.
“I had some great teachers at both places,” Jensen says. “My chemistry professor at Neosho, Norma Steinman, was an important mentor for me [and played] a key role in my subsequent success. She connected me with other great teachers at Pitt State who prepared me for the next steps.”
Jensen found his passion and graduated from medical school at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
“I went to med school thinking I was going to be a cardiologist as an athlete interested in sports physiology,” Jensen says. “Instead, my mentors stimulated my interest in cancer research, which led to my focus on breast cancer.”
Professional Journey
After medical school, Jensen completed his residency in anatomic pathology, followed by a surgical pathology fellowship at Vanderbilt, which led to a three-year research stint at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, Maryland.
“In 1991, I joined the faculty at Vanderbilt, where I worked until 2004 before becoming the director at the University of Kansas Cancer Center,” Jensen says. “I had worked with Harold Moses, who started the cancer center at Vanderbilt, and he was a great leader and mentor. From day one, my goal at KU was to develop an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center.”
Through the 1990s and 2000s, Jensen spent time establishing his lab with grants focused primarily on breast cancer. He also served as a breast pathology consultant and lectured widely on breast cancer and preneoplastic breast disease.
“At KU, it took a little bit of work to qualify for the NCI designation we earned in 2012,” Jensen says. “The guidelines state you have to be in that status for 10 years before stepping up to comprehensive, the highest level, in 2022.”
In total, that work resulted in a $1.3 billion investment in the KU Cancer Center. The growth of the cancer center and reaching comprehensive status would not have been possible without a variety of support.
“That effort was the result of hundreds of people who came together to be part of the team with tremendous support from the institution, philanthropy, Kansas Masons and local government,” he says.
Visions Achieved
The center’s funding increased from $14 million when Jensen started in 2004 to nearly $85 million today, expanded the number of patients by about four times, and recruited a number of leaders to build an outstanding team.
“Reflecting the work of our whole team, we’ve been very blessed,” Jensen says. “Cancer touches many of us personally, and, overall, half of all men and a third of all women are diagnosed at some point in their lifetime.”
Jensen played a key role in helping KU earn the esteemed NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center designation, which is a solid testament to the quality of its program.
“The center has come a long way over the last 20 years, with many things set up for continued success after I’m gone. The current plan is to work another three years to coincide with the renewal of our cancer center grant,” Jensen says. “Outside of work, I run, lift weights and play with grandkids.”
