Written by Julia Thayer, OCRA’s Associate Director, Advocacy

Advocacy Works. And We Need Your Voice.

Every day, people impacted by gynecologic cancers are using their voices to create change, and OCRA’s Advocate Leaders are at the heart of that work.

This past year, our Advocate Leaders have shown just how powerful advocacy can be:

  • 226 Advocate Leaders from 44 states and Washington, DC make up our largest program cohort yet.
  • Advocates conducted 158 meetings with Congressional offices during OCRA’s Spring Advocacy Day, making the case for critical gynecologic cancer priorities.
  • Across the country, advocates helped secure 120+ state and local proclamations and resolutions, bringing greater visibility to gynecologic cancers in local communities.
  • Support for the Ovarian Cancer Research Program grew from 75 to 106 House members signing a bipartisan Dear Colleague letter following our Spring Advocacy Day. 
  • And advocates helped advance a major policy priority, as the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act was signed into law on February 3, 2026, expanding Medicare coverage for multi-cancer early detection screening.

These numbers represent more than meetings, messages, and signatures. They represent people sharing their stories, educating policymakers, building relationships, and making sure the voices of the gynecologic cancer community are part of the decisions that shape our future. 

Applications for OCRA’s Advocate Leaders Program Open September 1

Interested in becoming an Advocate Leader and adding your voice to the fight? Join us!

We are especially looking for advocates who can bring voices and perspectives from across gynecologic cancer diagnoses. Whether your experience is with ovarian, uterine/endometrial, cervical, vulvar, vaginal, or any gynecologic cancer, your perspective matters. The issues we advocate for impact the entire gynecologic cancer community, and our impact is stronger when all of our voices are part of the conversation.

You don’t need to be a policy expert to become an Advocate Leader. You simply need a willingness to learn, speak up, and take action. OCRA provides the training, tools, community, and opportunities to help you turn your passion into meaningful advocacy.

Sign up now to be notified when applications open and be among the first to learn about the 2027 program.

Your voice has the power to make a difference. Join us!

Webinar: Addressing Gaps in Gynecologic Cancer Care

In case you missed it—watch this webinar to learn from OCRA’s policy team about unmet needs across the gynecologic cancer continuum, and how the Gynecologic Cancer STAR Act of 2026 could help expand access to modern care, strengthen the workforce, and improve outcomes for patients and survivors.