How this Skin Cancer Researcher Found his “Ugly Duckling”
Huntsman Cancer Institute investigator , was working in his own lab when he identified a mole on his arm that he would soon find out was melanoma—the deadliest form of skin cancer. This was not his first cancer diagnosis.
From Lifeguard to Cancer Researcher
Jensen, associate vice president for research and professor of communication at the (the U) as well as a member of the at Huntsman Cancer Institute, was just a teenager and working as a lifeguard at a swimming pool in rural Montana. One day, a community nurse made a small comment that would change his life: “You have a very strange mole in the middle of your back. Has anyone ever noted it to you?”
Jensen had to drive an hour and a half to get the mole removed. But the long drive was made worth it when he was told that the mole he had removed was melanoma.
“I began my cancer journey at 19,” Jensen says. “To be honest, when I first found out I had melanoma, I didn’t even really know what it was.”
This experience led to him studying skin cancer—and how to best teach people about it so they can be more aware than he was when he was first diagnosed.
“I don’t wish cancer on anybody, but if they have it, I want them to find it as fast as they can,” Jensen says.
That’s why for the past decade, Jensen has been developing educational visuals and conducting research to see which of those visuals are the most effective at helping people identify skin cancer.
Visualizing Skin Cancer
Jensen directs the Health Communication and Technology (HCAT) lab, where he’s worked to visualize a concept in skin cancer research known as the “Ugly Duckling Sign,” a technique used to spot potentially cancerous moles.
“Your moles have their own distinct quality that’s unique to you,” Jensen says. A person’s normal moles usually look like each other in size, shape, and color. On the other hand, moles that differ from your other moles—the so-called “Ugly Ducklings”—could potentially be cancerous.
Jensen’s lab has developed new visual materials to convey this principle in easy-to-understand ways. Through a series of research trials in which participants were shown different visual aids and then given pictures of various moles, Jensen narrowed down which were most effective in helping people identify signs of melanoma quickly. This is especially pertinent in Utah, which has the highest melanoma rate in the country.
“It’s just a very different level of material than has ever existed, with an evidence base that’s never been seen before,” Jensen says.
Now, Jensen is releasing these visual aids to the public. He hopes they will help people feel more confident in their ability to identify suspicious moles on their body, and in doing so, feel more in control of their health.
Jensen’s educational visuals have already helped at least one person discover their own skin cancer: himself.
Finding the “Ugly Duckling”
When he noticed a new mole on his right arm while working in his lab in the summer of 2024, Jensen was shocked that it had seemed to appear overnight.
“I spend a lot of time looking at photos of skin cancer,” he notes. “But suddenly I was looking at a strange mole on my own body.”
Though he didn’t think it followed the Ugly Duckling principle since it looked similar to a benign mole he had removed years earlier, he couldn’t help but to keep looking at it.
As he examined it more, Jensen noticed that it had a glossy look, almost like it was painted on his skin. None of his moles had this quality before, so he called into the dermatology department at the U for an urgent appointment.
The U’s Rapid Access Dermatology Clinic (RADc) is an innovative approach where patients with a time-sensitive concern like Jensen can see a board-certified dermatologist quickly—often, the same day.
“I encourage everyone to monitor their moles, as it can save your life.”
Jakob Jensen, PhD
A week after a sample was taken at the RADc, the news came that confirmed his suspicions: The mole was melanoma.
“It took my breath away,” Jensen admitted. “I’ve kind of been waiting for this. I knew this was going to come back someday.”
Fortunately, Jensen’s melanoma had been caught early and was classified as melanoma in situ—a surface-level cancer that can typically be treated by surgery alone.
Shortly thereafter, Jensen had the remainder of the mole—and a small amount of skin around it—removed by a dermatologist at Huntsman Cancer Institute. A month later, all that was left was another scar—and a deeper commitment to his research.
“Skin cancer can be frightening,” Jensen says. “But there are things you can do to reduce your risk and to identify it early. My lab focuses on the latter. I encourage everyone to monitor their moles, as it can save your life.”