Endometrial Cancer Research and Education Act of 2025

Bill Summary: Endometrial Cancer Research and Education Act of 2025 (HR 5239)

Overview

The Endometrial Cancer Research and Education Act of 2025 is a legislative proposal designed to combat the rising incidence of endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterine lining), with a specific focus on reducing the significant health disparities affecting African-American women. The bill seeks to increase federal funding for research, improve clinical trial representation, and launch a public education campaign to identify risk factors and encourage early detection.

Main Purpose and Intent

The primary intent of the bill is to address a critical gap in healthcare outcomes: while non-Hispanic White women are more likely to be diagnosed with endometrial cancer, African-American women experience higher mortality rates. The bill aims to investigate the causes of this disparity—such as delays in care, aggressive late-stage diagnoses, and socioeconomic barriers—and ensure that medical research and public education reflect the demographics of those most severely affected.

Key Provisions

1. Expansion of NIH Research

The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to mandate that the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
* Intensify Research: Expand and coordinate programs dedicated to endometrial cancer research.
* Address Disparities: Communicate the disparity in diagnosis rates between African-American and non-Hispanic White women to medical professionals and researchers.
* Ensure Representation: Guarantee that African-American women are represented in NIH-supported clinical trials in proportion to the actual incidence rates of the disease.
* Inter-Agency Coordination: Coordinate these efforts with the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the Office of Research on Women’s Health, and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

2. Public Education Program (CDC)

The bill directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish the Endometrial Cancer Public Education Program. This program will:
* Develop and distribute informational materials regarding risk factors, incidence rates, and available treatments.
* Create targeted outreach materials specifically for African-American women.
* Partner with nonprofits, higher education institutions, and government agencies to disseminate these materials.

Who is Affected?

• Patients and At-Risk Populations: Specifically women with PCOS or uterine leiomyoma, postmenopausal women (ages 55–64), and ethnic minority women (particularly African-American and Asian women) who face increasing rates of aggressive subtypes of this cancer.
• Medical Community: Researchers and healthcare providers will receive updated information on diagnostic disparities.
• Federal Agencies: The NIH and CDC are tasked with the implementation and coordination of these new mandates.

Funding and Timeline

• NIH Funding: The bill authorizes $1,000,000 per fiscal year for 2026, 2027, and 2028.
• CDC Funding: The bill authorizes "such sums as may be necessary" for fiscal years 2026 through 2028 to carry out the education program.
• Procedural Status: Introduced on September 9, 2025, and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.