ECRF PEACH MONTHLY NEWSLETTER                                   
June 2026 Edition

June: A Month of Awareness, Survivorship, and Progress

Happy Uterine Cancer Awareness (UCAM) Month!

June raises awareness, shares knowledge, supports patients, celebrates survivors, and amplifies the voices of those affected by uterine cancer. More than 420,000 people are diagnosed annually, with the number expected to increase by 50% by 2044. We are grateful to the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) for leading global awareness efforts and uniting patients, advocates, clinicians, researchers, and organizations worldwide.

As June ends, thank you to everyone who participated in #Jump4June. Whether you jumped, shared your story, posted a photo or video, or helped raise awareness, every action helped raise visibility for uterine (endometrial) cancer. We hope you'll stay involved and help sustain the momentum beyond June.

Dana Mathews, ECRF's Digital Strategy & Patient Advocacy Lead, and the Zumba Gold Gals at their local community center proudly accepted the #Jump4June challenge!

The IGCS and partners in the International Gynecologic Cancer Advocacy Network are committed to raising awareness and advocating for uterine cancer. Explore translations of the statement on Reducing Inequities in Uterine Cancer: A Global Call to Action for #UCAM. Let’s work together to ensure everyone affected by uterine cancer has access to necessary knowledge, resources, and treatments. Pledge your support and commit to action.

June is also National Cancer Survivors Month, a time to celebrate survivors and honor those currently navigating cancer. More than 18.6 million people in the United States are living with a history of cancer. While every journey is different, many continue to face challenges long after treatment ends. Their experiences underscore the need for greater awareness, stronger advocacy, and continued research. 

The past three months have been especially meaningful for ECRF. In April, I attended the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting in Puerto Rico, where I connected with researchers, clinicians, patient advocates, and professionals dedicated to improving outcomes for people affected by gynecological cancers. That momentum carried into June at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, where ECRF team members learned about emerging research and exciting data, shared perspectives, networked with potential partners, and explored opportunities for collaboration.

ASCO week also marked a special milestone for ECRF. During the UCAM Survivor & Advocacy Gathering event hosted by IGCS, Dana Mathews, Naomi Aziz, and I finally met in person for the first time after months of building ECRF virtually. Alongside fellow board members Amy Goldman, Jeanne Pasha, and Alicia Barroso, the team continues to build a community united by a shared commitment to advancing endometrial cancer research.

As we recently celebrated ECRF's first anniversary since our founding on June 20, 2025, we remain committed to advancing awareness, research, and advocacy for endometrial cancer.

As individuals living with or surviving endometrial cancer, we understand the challenges this disease poses. That's why we continue to ask: What more can we do for those affected?

Whether you're newly diagnosed, a survivor, supporting a loved one, conducting research, providing care, or advocating, we're glad you're here. Thank you for being part of the ECRF Peach community.

With gratitude,

Corby Arthur
Founder and President
Endometrial Cancer Research Foundation (ECRF)

Explore Research with ECRF Trial Finder

Research should be accessible to everyone. Through our partnership with iSimcha Health, the ECRF Trial Finder connects patients and families with clinical trials for uterine (endometrial) cancer, using clear, easy-to-understand language.

Join a Trial
Explore clinical trials focused on uterine (endometrial) cancer and learn about research opportunities that may be right for you.

Learn from Research
Visit ScienceMyHealth for plain-language summaries of the latest clinical trials and research developments, making it easier to stay informed throughout your care.

We're continuing to expand these resources with new research updates and educational content. Check back often as we grow.

Knowledge empowers patients. Explore these tools, ask questions, and take an active role in your care.

Source: Endometrial Cancer Companion, Author: Larry Luxner
June also gave us a chance to highlight the patient voice beyond conferences. ECRF Patient Advocacy and Engagement Lead, Naomi Aziz, was recently featured in Endometrial Cancer Companion, sharing her journey from diagnosis through survivorship and advocacy. 

Her story resonates with many patients facing diagnosis delays, treatment uncertainty, and post-cancer challenges. We thank EC Companion for highlighting the importance of patient stories in shaping future care and research.

→ Read the full article

ECRF at Cancer Nation Summit 2026

To close out a momentous month, Naomi Aziz attended the Cancer Nation Summit 2026 in Washington, D.C., hosted by Cancer Nation.

Together with her spouse, Matthew Ricci, and fellow cancer advocates Aisha McClellan and Tony Newberne, representing North Carolina, she visited the offices of Representatives Greg Murphy, Tim Moore, Richard Hudson, and Senator Ted Budd. They discussed the needs of over 18 million people living with and beyond cancer in the U.S.

Advocates urged support for the Lainie Jones Comprehensive Cancer Survivorship Act (H.R. 8839) and increased federal cancer research funding in FY27 to improve care and outcomes.

Advocacy is a core ECRF pillar. We continue to engage policymakers to ensure that patient, survivor, and family voices shape cancer research and care.

Four-Year RUBY Data Support Curative Intent With Dostarlimab in dMMR/MSI-H Endometrial Cancer

Source: ASCO Post, Author: Meg Barbor, MPH

Four-year follow-up from the phase III RUBY clinical trial showed durable long-term benefit with front-line dostarlimab-gxly, a PD-1 blocker, plus carboplatin/paclitaxel in patients with mismatch repair–deficient/microsatellite instability–high (dMMR/MSI-H) primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, raising the possibility of curative intent in at least a subset of patients.
→ Read the full article

Pembrolizumab Plus Chemotherapy Shows Long-Term OS Benefit in Advanced/Recurrent Endometrial Cancer

Source: OncLive, Author: Courtney Flaherty

With approximately 4 years of extended follow-up, pembrolizumab (Keytruda) plus carboplatin and paclitaxel continued to demonstrate an overall survival (OS) benefit over chemotherapy alone in both mismatch repair–deficient (dMMR) and mismatch repair–proficient (pMMR) advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer, according to updated results from the phase 3 NRG-GY018 trial. → Read the full article

Using a self-collected vaginal fluid test for endometrial cancer detection

Source: Contemporary OB/GYN, Author: Elle Kielar Grevstad, PhD

The two-marker methylated DNA assay marks a significant advance in endometrial cancer detection, supporting the potential of a non-invasive vaginal swab test to help rule out the disease.

Elle Kielar Grevstad, PhD, explains that a 2-MDM panel detected endometrial cancer in self-collected vaginal fluid with 96% sensitivity and 82% specificity, according to a marker reduction study published in Gynecologic Oncology.

→ Read the full article

Newsletter Editor’s Note: On Saturday, May 30, at ASCO 2026, the ECRF team met with Dr. Elle Kielar Grevstad and John Scanlon from Abbott, who presented findings and progress from a groundbreaking study. To our surprise, it was the very clinical trial I participated in at Mayo Clinic in March 2019, during my hysterectomy and cancer removal surgery. Led by my gynecologic oncologist, Dr. Jamie Bakkum-Gamez, the trial is a significant step forward aimed at developing less invasive techniques for detecting endometrial cancer. 

The following Monday, I attended the trial's poster presentation and reconnected with Dr. Bakkum-Gamez and Dr. Kielar Grevstad. My last meeting with Dr. Bakkum-Gamez was in June 2020, after my third recurrence. She and her team recommended a Phase 1 clinical trial as part of my treatment plan. After that trial, I continued with immunotherapy (Keytruda) and targeted therapy (Lenvima) for more than three years, ultimately achieving no evidence of disease in November 2023.

I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in two clinical trials at Mayo Clinic under the care of Dr. Bakkum-Gamez. It felt like a full-circle moment; witnessing this study's progress reinforces the vital partnership between patients and researchers in advancing the detection of endometrial cancer.

Until next month,

Naomi Aziz
Editor, ECRF Peach Newsletter
Patient Advocacy & Engagement Lead

Thank you for being part of the ECRF Peach community and staying connected to the latest in endometrial cancer awareness, research, and advocacy. Visit ECRFpeach.org/resources to explore past Monthly Newsletters and browse all blog content in one place.

As you read and stay informed, help us build momentum for endometrial cancer awareness, research, and advocacy. Your support powers education, amplifies patient voices, and advances critical endometrial cancer research through ECRF.