Yaca and Dr. Boardman have been compensated by GSK for their participation in this article. Yaca is a patient with endometrial cancer who will be discussing her experience; individual experiences may vary. Dr. Boardman is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist.
If there’s one thing to know about Yaca, it’s that she leads with her head. Having worked as a programmer and database administrator across industries ranging from railways to aerospace, she’s nothing if not rational. “I’ve spent my career working with data,” she says, “So I take a data-based approach to everything.”
So in 2018, as she approached 60 years of age and had yet to experience signs of menopause, Yaca did what she does best: She started gathering data. “I started listening to all of these women talking about hot flashes, and hormonal changes, and mood shifts, and I’d never experienced anything like that,” she recalls. Menopause is typically diagnosed after experiencing twelve straight months without a period. “But I was still bleeding every month. So either I was some kind of unicorn, or something was wrong.” Yaca went to see her gynecologist, who ordered an endometrial biopsy. A few days later, she got the call: Yaca had endometrial cancer.
Endometrial cancer is the most common type of uterine cancer. Since endometrial cancer makes up around 90 percent of all uterine cancers, the terms are often used interchangeably. According to Cecelia Boardman, MD, a board-certified gynecologic oncologist specializing in uterine cancer, unusual vaginal bleeding, including spotting, is the most common symptom of the disease, just ahead of abnormal vaginal discharge. “When the normal menstrual cycle has stopped due to menopause, but then returns, whether as spotting, dripping, or flooding, that is not normal.” The vast majority of endometrial cancer diagnoses occur in women over 50 who are postmenopausal. “Menstrual cycles typically become less frequent as we’re moving towards menopause,” Dr. Boardman says. “For women who are still menstruating, bleeding in between periods, very heavy menstrual bleeding, or irregular bleeding may be signs of endometrial cancer.” It’s important for women to see a doctor if they experience abnormal vaginal bleeding or other unusual symptoms to be checked for endometrial cancer or other potential conditions.
After recovering from the initial shock of her diagnosis, Yaca went into full-on research mode. “All of my data training kicked in, and I methodically learned everything I could about endometrial cancer,” she says. “When my doctor told me I’d need a hysterectomy, I spoke with women who’d gotten hysterectomies. When I learned I’d need chemotherapy, I spoke with women who’d gone through chemo.”
Dr. Boardman agrees that well-informed patients often feel more empowered in their treatment journeys as they go through the experience. “I want my patients to understand exactly what is happening at each step, and what the next steps will be,” she explains. “I’ll sit down with them to go over their test results, make sure they understand the treatment options, and that they agree on our plan for care.”
Although Yaca knew every detail about her treatment plan, she says nothing could have prepared her for the experience itself: “I would not wish this cancer journey on my worst enemy,” she says. While she tried to stay strong, she recalls breaking down in her oncologist’s office. “I couldn’t stop crying,” she remembers. “And then I couldn’t stop apologizing — for crying, for not being able to handle it.”
Yaca expected her oncologist to be upset with her, but instead, he did something she never expected: “He got down on my level, looked me right in the eye, told me not to apologize, and said, ‘We will get you through this.’ In that moment, I felt true empathy from him. He really understood the effect this cancer had on me physically and emotionally.”
Dr. Boardman acknowledges that many of her own patients hesitate to speak up and advocate for themselves, which is why she emphasizes that cancer treatment is not one-size-fits-all: “No doctor should ever be mad at you for speaking up,” she says. “You and your healthcare team can explore options that may work better for you.”
After that conversation with her oncologist, Yaca realized that no matter how pragmatic she was, the cancer journey inevitably comes with ups and downs. This became even more evident five years after she was first treated, when she learned she’d had a recurrence. “I was really emotional when I found out the cancer had come back,” she says. “During the initial diagnosis, I was still working, so I buried myself in work to stay distracted. But now I was retired, and I’d just moved into a new house, and all I could think about was, I thought I was past this.”
Although the road ahead would be difficult, Yaca’s oncology team was optimistic, assuring her that she had options. Her current treatment regimen is keeping her cancer from progressing.
Dr. Boardman has experience with prescribing different kinds of therapies for endometrial cancer, including an immunotherapy option called JEMPERLI (dostarlimab-gxly for injection 500mg). In August 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved JEMPERLI for use in combination with the chemotherapy medicines carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients with newly-diagnosed endometrial cancer that has spread outside their uterus (advanced) or has returned. JEMPERLI is a type of immunotherapy, which is a type of drug designed to help immune cells — the cells in the body’s immune system that fight infections — identify and attack tumor cells.
Approved Uses
JEMPERLI is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a kind of uterine cancer called endometrial cancer (EC)
- JEMPERLI may be used in combination with the chemotherapy medicines, carboplatin and paclitaxel, and then after that JEMPERLI may be used alone:
- when your cancer has spread outside your uterus (advanced) or,
- your cancer has returned.
- JEMPERLI may be used alone:
- when a laboratory test shows that your tumor is mismatch repair deficient (dMMR), and
- your cancer has returned, or it has spread (advanced EC), and
- you have received chemotherapy that contains platinum and it did not work or is no longer working, and
- your cancer cannot be treated by surgery or radiation.
It is not known if JEMPERLI is safe and effective in children.
Dr. Boardman ensures that all her patients understand potential side effects when discussing treatment options. Because JEMPERLI is an immunotherapy, it can cause someone’s immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in any area of the body. These problems can become severe or life-threatening and lead to death. More than one of these problems can occur at the same time, which may happen during or after treatment. It is important to call or see a doctor right away for any new or worsening signs or symptoms. Immune system problems can include lung problems, intestinal problems, liver problems, hormone gland problems, kidney problems, skin problems, and problems in other organs and tissues. JEMPERLI can also cause severe or life-threatening infusion reactions, rejection of a transplanted organ, and complications in people who received a bone marrow transplant that uses donor stem cells.
These are not all the potential side effects that can occur with JEMPERLI; please review the Important Safety Information below and the full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide, to learn more.
Dr. Boardman explains, “We’ve learned that the addition of an immunotherapy drug like JEMPERLI to standard-of-care carboplatin and paclitaxel may prevent cancer cells from hiding so that the immune system can recognize them as foreign and attack them. Immunotherapies have been an important advancement in providing additional treatment options for certain patients with endometrial cancer.”
When Yaca learned she would need to undergo a second course of cancer treatment, she wasn’t sad or scared — she was angry. “I’m 66 years old,” she says. “I’m retired, I should be enjoying my life. Instead, I’m looking at my friends on their cruises while I’m lying in a PET scanner. That made me mad, but I also think women in my situation need to know that it’s okay to be mad, or to feel bad sometimes. It’s okay to be angry that you’re bald, or that you’ve got scars, or that you’re exhausted. You deserve to be mad. But you also deserve help.” Yaca began seeing a therapist, who gave her this advice: Speak up when you need help.
Therapists, social workers, and mental health providers can play a critical role for patients during and after cancer treatment. Dr. Boardman says hospitals often have resources for patients that they might never have expected. “We have services for individual support or support groups, but we also let patients and their families know that if they need bus fare, help paying their electric bills, or someone to accompany them to their appointments, there may be resources we can connect them with for those issues, too.”
Reflecting on her journey, Yaca says the most important lesson she’s learned is to give yourself grace. “There’s this warrior mentality surrounding cancer — like you’re supposed to start a business, or write a book, or climb Everest,” she says. “But I’m not a warrior, and that’s okay, because I’m surviving. Yes, cancer is a big part of my life. But I’m also a woman, a mother, a former database administrator, and an Eagles fan. There’s a lot more to me than the fact that I have advanced endometrial cancer.”
Learn more about endometrial cancer from Dr. Sharyn Lewin, Director of Gynecologic Oncology, Holy Name Medical Regional Cancer Center here.
Yaca is an endometrial cancer patient discussing her treatment experience; Yaca is not a JEMPERLI patient.
Important Safety Information
JEMPERLI is a medicine that may treat certain cancers by working with your immune system. JEMPERLI can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in any area of your body and can affect the way they work. These problems can sometimes become severe or life-threatening and can lead to death. You can have more than one of these problems at the same time. These problems may happen anytime during treatment or even after your treatment has ended.
Call or see your healthcare provider (HCP) right away if you develop any new or worsening signs or symptoms, including:
Lung problems. Signs and symptoms may include cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain.
Intestinal problems. Signs and symptoms may include diarrhea or more bowel movements than usual; stools that are black, tarry, sticky, or have blood or mucus; or severe stomach-area (abdomen) pain or tenderness.
Liver problems. Signs and symptoms may include yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes, severe nausea or vomiting, pain on the right side of your stomach area (abdomen), dark urine (tea colored), or bleeding or bruising more easily than usual.
Hormone gland problems. Signs and symptoms may include headaches that will not go away or unusual headaches, eye sensitivity to light, eye problems, rapid heartbeat, increased sweating, extreme tiredness, weight gain or weight loss, feeling more hungry or thirsty than usual, urinating more often than usual, hair loss, feeling cold, constipation, your voice gets deeper, dizziness or fainting, changes in mood or behavior such as decreased sex drive, irritability, or forgetfulness.
Kidney problems. Signs and symptoms may include change in the amount or color of your urine, blood in your urine, swelling in your ankles, or loss of appetite.
Skin problems. Signs and symptoms may include rash; itching; skin blistering or peeling; swollen lymph nodes; painful sores or ulcers in your mouth or in your nose, throat, or genital area; fever or flu-like symptoms.
Problems can also happen in other organs and tissues. These are not all of the signs and symptoms of immune system problems that can happen with JEMPERLI. Call or see your HCP right away for any new or worse signs or symptoms. Signs and symptoms may include chest pain, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, swelling of ankles; confusion, sleepiness, memory problems, changes in mood or behavior, stiff neck, balance problems, tingling or numbness of the arms or legs; double vision, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, eye pain, changes in eyesight; persistent or severe muscle pain or weakness, muscle cramps; low red blood cells, bruising.
Infusion reactions that can sometimes be severe or life-threatening. Signs and symptoms of infusion reactions may include chills or shaking, itching or rash, flushing, shortness of breath or wheezing, dizziness, feel like passing out, fever, back or neck pain.
Rejection of a transplanted organ. Your HCP should tell you what signs and symptoms you should report and monitor you, depending on the type of organ transplant that you have had.
Complications, including graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), in people who have received a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic). These complications can be serious and can lead to death. These complications may happen if you underwent transplantation either before or after being treated with JEMPERLI. Your HCP will monitor you for these complications.
Getting medical treatment right away may help keep these problems from becoming more serious. Your HCP will check you for these problems during treatment with JEMPERLI and may treat you with corticosteroid or hormone replacement medicines. If you have severe side effects, your HCP may also need to delay or completely stop treatment with JEMPERLI.
Before receiving JEMPERLI, tell your HCP about all of your medical conditions, including immune system problems such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or lupus; received an organ transplant; have received or plan to receive a stem cell transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic); have received radiation treatment to your chest area; have a condition that affects your nervous system, such as myasthenia gravis or Guillain-Barré syndrome.
If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, tell your HCP. JEMPERLI can harm your unborn baby. If you are able to become pregnant, your HCP will give you a pregnancy test before you start treatment. Use an effective birth control method during treatment and for 4 months after your last dose of JEMPERLI. Tell your HCP right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment with JEMPERLI.
If you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed, tell your HCP. It is not known if JEMPERLI passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment with JEMPERLI and for 4 months after your last dose.
Tell your HCP about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
The most common side effects of JEMPERLI when given with carboplatin and paclitaxel include nerve problems in your arms, hands, legs, and feet; tiredness; nausea; hair loss; joint pain; rash; constipation; diarrhea; stomach-area (abdomen) pain; shortness of breath; decreased appetite; urinary tract infections; vomiting.
The most common side effects of JEMPERLI when used alone include tiredness and weakness, low red blood cell count (anemia), diarrhea, nausea, constipation, vomiting.
These are not all of the possible side effects of JEMPERLI. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call by 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report negative side effects to GSK at https://gsk.public.reportum.com or 1-888-825-5249.
Please see full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide for patients.
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PMUS-DSTCOCO250002 June 2025
Produced in USA.
