The House and Senate are working on their Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 appropriations bills, including the bill that funds the Department of Defense (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP). SGO has requested an endometrial cancer line item be established and funded with $10 million in initial appropriations. The National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2026 authorized the creation of an endometrial cancer research program within CDMRP funded at $10 million, and we must urge Congress to provide this funding in FY 2027 appropriations to support and implement this program.&nbsp;&nbsp;
SGO needs your help to get members of the House of Representatives and Senate to support this request. 
Please act now and ask your members of Congress to support this important research!&nbsp;&nbsp;

TAKE ACTION - Ask Your Members of Congress to Support an Endometrial Cancer Line Item

As a constituent, I urge you to support a separate line-item for an endometrial cancer research program at the Department of Defense (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) funded with an initial appropriation of $10 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2027. The National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2026 authorized an endometrial cancer research program within CDMRP at this funding level. Congress must act now to provide the funding to implement this program.
Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer, and the fourth most common malignancy among women in the United States trailing only breast, lung, and colorectal. In fact, in 2026, it is estimated that 68,270 new cases of endometrial cancer will be diagnosed, and about 14,450 women will die from the disease. Based on these estimates, endometrial cancer will become the third most common malignancy among American women. According to a study published in JAMA Oncology, the endometrial cancer mortality rate has been increasing by almost two percent each year. Additionally, the incidence of endometrial cancer among young women under the age of 39 has been rising, and those diagnosed are more likely to be Black or Hispanic.
The growing prevalence and mortality of endometrial cancer affects the health and well-being of U.S. military service members and their families, as well as troop readiness. The number of women in the military is increasing with approximately 247,000 women who are U.S. military active duty personnel, accounting for over 17.5 percent of the total force. In fact, women account for about one-fifth of the officers in every military service except the Marine Corps where they make up 9% of the total. Endometrial cancer and its precursor conditions can impair readiness, deployability, fertility, and long-term health during a woman’s prime service years. An additional one million women are married to an active duty service member, and therefore, receive care through the Defense Health Agency. A family member’s diagnosis with endometrial cancer has profound effects on family stability, caregiver burden, and force resilience.

This issue also has a significant impact on the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system that provides care to those who bravely served our nation. Currently, there are approximately 2.1 women veterans. Research has shown that gynecologic cancers have accounted for 12% of all cancers identified in women in the VA system. As in the general population, endometrial cancer was the most diagnosed gynecologic cancer. We anticipate that the rate of endometrial cancer diagnosis will continue to increase in veterans without more research and improved therapeutic interventions.

The DoD CDMRP has a proven track record of supporting cutting-edge research across a broad range of diseases and conditions. Financial support for endometrial cancer, through this program, is vital for fostering groundbreaking discoveries and improving healthcare outcomes for women across the nation. 

Therefore, Congress must establish a new separate line item for an endometrial cancer research program funded at $10 million at the DoD CDMRP in FY 2027. A program devoted solely to endometrial cancer research will sharpen the focus on this lethal disease and enable the pursuit of ground-breaking research and critical knowledge gaps that will lead to improved endometrial cancer detection, prevention, treatment, and survival rates. 

Thank you for your consideration.