<p>The House is beginning its work on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 appropriations bills, including the bill that funds the Department of Defense (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP). Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), and Robin Kelly (D-IL) are leading a Dear Colleague letter requesting the establishment of a separate line-item for an endometrial cancer research program with $10 million in initial appropriations.&nbsp;</p>
<p>SGO needs your help to get as many House members as possible to sign this Dear Colleague letter in support of this request. Please take action now and ask your Representative to sign this letter requesting $10 million for the establishment of a separate line-item for an endometrial cancer research program within the DoD CDMRP.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


TAKE ACTION - Urge Your Member to Sign the Dear Colleague in Support of the Creation of an Endometrial Cancer Research Program

As a constituent and member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO), I write to request that you sign the Dear Colleague letter [https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/quill.senate.gov/letters/letter/16180/opt-in/view/10d6687e-6fea-40e3-b7a3-9d5c0ad9984e/__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!l0oyNKlclDFzH8NoU0ZcxrGepsecqjA9UoDBDHbJXykgQdE5XD3peiUqHgM4BY4gmvLcei-KzzC34vc-0cE2_CrBABaEzlZuaBsFCPG_JyhA$] being circulated by Representative Watson Coleman that requests the establishment of a new separate line-item for an endometrial cancer research program at the Department of Defense (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) with $10 million in initial appropriations for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025.  

The SGO is the premier medical specialty society for health care professionals trained in the comprehensive management of gynecologic cancers. The SGO’s 2,800 members, who include physicians, nurses, and other advanced practice providers, represent the entire oncology team dedicated to the treatment and care of patients with gynecologic cancers, including endometrial cancer. 
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 2024, it is estimated that 67,880 new cases will be diagnosed, and about 13,250 women will die from the disease. Additionally, the mortality rate has been increasing by almost two percent each year with even sharper increases among Asian, Hispanic, and Black women. 

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. There are now almost 230,000 women who are U.S. military active-duty personnel, accounting for 17.5 percent of the total force. 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. Research has shown that gynecologic cancers have accounted for 12 percent of all cancer identified in women in the VA system. As in the general population, endometrial cancer was the most commonly 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.

SGO was pleased to see that President Biden’s recent Executive Order [https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/03/18/fact-sheet-president-biden-issues-executive-order-and-announces-new-actions-to-advance-womens-health-research-and-innovation/] called for investments in the CDMRP to continue to fund research to advance women’s health. The DoD CDMRP has a proven track record of funding cutting-edge research in various areas of women’s health encompassing a range of diseases and conditions that affect women uniquely and disproportionately from men. Financial support for endometrial cancer, through this program, is vital for fostering groundbreaking discoveries and improving healthcare outcomes for women across the nation.

Therefore, we seek to establish a new separate line-item for an endometrial cancer research program at the DoD CDMRP. 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. We urge you to sign the Watson Coleman Dear Colleague letter [https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/quill.senate.gov/letters/letter/16180/opt-in/view/10d6687e-6fea-40e3-b7a3-9d5c0ad9984e/__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!l0oyNKlclDFzH8NoU0ZcxrGepsecqjA9UoDBDHbJXykgQdE5XD3peiUqHgM4BY4gmvLcei-KzzC34vc-0cE2_CrBABaEzlZuaBsFCPG_JyhA$] requesting the establishment of a separate line-item for an endometrial cancer research program with $10 million in initial appropriations.

Thank you for your consideration.

TAKE ACTION - Urge Your Member to Sign the Dear Colleague in Support of the Creation of an Endometrial Cancer Research Program

Message

Dear Office Holder (names will be automatically added on each email),