Kimberly Leslie, MD, a professor at The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, has received a five-year grant totaling $12.9 million from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Leslie will lead a research team that includes scientists from six universities to study hormonal regimens for the prevention and treatment of endometrial cancer.
Endometrial cancer, which affects the lining of the uterus and is most common in women over 55, has been increasing among younger women in recent years. In 2024, deaths from endometrial cancer surpassed those from ovarian cancer in the United States for the first time.
According to data from NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, more than 69,000 people are expected to be diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2025 and nearly 14,000 will die from it. Leslie noted that there has also been an increase in diagnoses at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Early detection is critical; if uterine cancer is found before spreading beyond its original site, SEER reports that about 95% of patients survive at least five years after diagnosis. However, if it spreads to other organs, the five-year survival rate drops below 20%.
Hormonal therapy can both treat and prevent endometrial cancer. Leslie’s team plans to evaluate all available hormonal therapies as part of their research.
The project involves collaboration with researchers at the universities of Iowa, Utah, Kansas, Virginia and California at San Diego. The work is divided into four main projects linked by their focus on hormonal treatments. UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center serves as the parent institution for this grant and will provide resources such as its Clinical Research Office and shared facilities for biostatistics and tissue analysis.
Leslie’s collaborators at UNM include Distinguished Professor Eric Prossnitz, PhD; Professor Carolyn Muller, MD; Professor Jianrong Wu, PhD; Associate Professor Mara Steinkamp, PhD; along with her laboratory colleagues. The multi-institutional team previously received a Translation Science Team grant from the Department of Defense two years ago to conduct preliminary studies needed for this NCI application.
"Our research aims to determine the best agents to use for prevention and for treatment of established cancers," Leslie said.
She added that her team will investigate biomarkers to identify which hormonal therapies may be most effective for individual patients.
"In many cases," Leslie said, "endometrial cancer can be prevented with appropriate hormonal preventive strategies."
The NCI grant was awarded under Award Number P01CA278735 with Kimberly K. Leslie as principal investigator. The authors stated that their findings are their own responsibility and do not necessarily represent official views of the National Institutes of Health.
The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center is recognized as New Mexico’s official cancer center and is designated by the National Cancer Institute as a comprehensive center within a 500-mile radius. It employs over 130 board-certified oncology physicians covering all major specialties alongside more than 600 healthcare professionals who serve approximately 65% of New Mexico’s cancer patients statewide. In addition to treating over 15,000 patients through nearly 105,000 clinic visits in 2024 alone—including inpatient care—over 2,000 patients participated in clinical trials testing new treatments or prevention strategies.
More information about services offered by UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center can be found on their website: unmhealth.org/cancer
